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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 120 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: pitcher · club · racket · foot · chip · root · drill · rule

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. drill — the tool
  3. root — the cause
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. drill — army training
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. chip — to eat
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. club — for dancing
  14. root — of a word
  15. club — for golf
  16. rule — government
  17. root — of a plant
  18. drill — a practice
  19. rule — a law
  20. chip — for betting
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. club — a group
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. pitcher — a jug

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