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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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Word bank
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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: staff · race · root · plane · foot · pitch · file · jam

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. foot — a measure
  3. pitch — completely
  4. root — the cause
  5. race — the arms race
  6. race — a contest
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. file — a line of people
  9. staff — employees
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. root — of a plant
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. race — humankind
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. file — a document
  18. plane — a tool
  19. staff — a stick
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. staff — employees
  22. root — of a word
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. pitch — a sports field

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