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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: last · straw · racket · scale · arm · spell · root · pitch

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. spell — letters
  4. spell — a short time
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. root — of a word
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. last — finally
  11. last — to go on
  12. root — the cause
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. spell — magic
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. pitch — completely
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. scale — in music
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. last — final
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. scale — size or range

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