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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: pitcher · cabinet · rash · key · land · ball · last · root

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. rash — hasty
  3. key — the most important part
  4. land — a country
  5. rash — a series
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. last — to go on
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. root — the cause
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. ball — a great time
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. land — ground
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. key — for a lock
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. key — in music
  18. root — of a word
  19. ball — a dance
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. last — final
  23. root — of a plant
  24. land — to come down

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