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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: trunk · toast · root · key · rush · nail · pitch · pitcher

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. toast — bread
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. root — of a word
  9. root — of a plant
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. key — in music
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. rush — hurry
  16. key — for a lock
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. root — the cause
  22. pitch — completely
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. key — the most important part

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