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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: land · last · rash · key · root · bass · hide · pitch

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. land — a country
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. land — to come down
  5. bass — low music
  6. land — ground
  7. last — finally
  8. last — final
  9. root — the cause
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. key — in music
  13. key — the most important part
  14. root — of a word
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pitch — completely
  17. last — to go on
  18. rash — a series
  19. root — of a plant
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. rash — hasty
  22. bass — the fish
  23. key — for a lock
  24. hide — to keep secret

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