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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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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: date · rash · hide · race · pitch · root · stand · key

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. root — of a word
  5. race — the arms race
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. date — the fruit
  8. key — in music
  9. rash — a series
  10. root — the cause
  11. race — humankind
  12. key — the most important part
  13. stand — to bear
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. race — a contest
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. root — of a plant
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. rash — hasty
  24. key — for a lock

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