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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: spell · root · jam · key · drill · field · pitch · branch

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. field — farmland
  3. field — a subject
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. drill — army training
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. drill — the tool
  11. spell — letters
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. root — the cause
  14. field — for sport
  15. spell — a short time
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. key — in music
  18. root — of a word
  19. pitch — completely
  20. key — for a lock
  21. drill — a practice
  22. branch — a division
  23. root — of a plant
  24. spell — magic

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