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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: row · race · root · pitch · drill · key · stand · ground

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. drill — the tool
  3. race — the arms race
  4. stand — to bear
  5. race — humankind
  6. ground — the earth
  7. drill — army training
  8. ground — crushed
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. key — in music
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. root — of a word
  13. pitch — completely
  14. race — a contest
  15. row — a line
  16. key — the most important part
  17. key — for a lock
  18. root — the cause
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. ground — a position
  21. root — of a plant
  22. row — to paddle
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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