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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: root · bowl · race · cabinet · pitch · sharp · swing · scale

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  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. sharp — exactly
  2. swing — in golf
  3. root — of a word
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. swing — music
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. swing — to play on
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. pitch — completely
  10. race — humankind
  11. scale — size or range
  12. sharp — clever
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. race — the arms race
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. race — a contest
  17. root — of a plant
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. root — the cause
  21. scale — in music
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. bowl — a football final
  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