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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. bulb — for light
  3. race — a contest
  4. root — of a plant
  5. saw — the tool
  6. drill — a practice
  7. pitch — completely
  8. saw — the tool
  9. race — humankind
  10. race — the arms race
  11. root — of a word
  12. drill — army training
  13. key — in music
  14. club — for dancing
  15. key — for a lock
  16. club — a group
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. club — for golf
  19. root — the cause
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. key — the most important part
  22. drill — the tool
  23. bulb — for light
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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