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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. key — for a lock
  3. root — of a word
  4. key — in music
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. root — of a plant
  8. march — the month
  9. sharp — clever
  10. track — to keep track
  11. key — the most important part
  12. chair — a leader
  13. degree — temperature
  14. root — the cause
  15. degree — an amount
  16. march — music
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. track — a path
  19. track — a song
  20. degree — from a university
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. march — the month

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