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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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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. key — for a lock
  4. key — in music
  5. root — the cause
  6. key — the most important part
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. root — of a plant
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. court — of a king
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. pitch — completely
  15. court — for sport
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. court — of law
  20. dip — to sink
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. stem — to come from

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