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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fine · bowl · pitch · root · stand · track · kick · bat

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. fine — high quality
  6. root — of a plant
  7. stand — to bear
  8. bat — the animal
  9. track — a path
  10. root — of a word
  11. root — the cause
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. kick — in football
  17. pitch — completely
  18. track — a song
  19. fine — all right
  20. track — to keep track
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. pitch — a sales talk

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com