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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: root · charge · can · pitch · straw · wound · date · key

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. can — to be able to
  3. pitch — completely
  4. charge — in control
  5. charge — a price
  6. date — the fruit
  7. wound — an injury
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. key — the most important part
  11. charge — electricity
  12. root — the cause
  13. can — a tin
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. root — of a word
  16. key — in music
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. wound — an injury
  22. can — a tin
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. root — of a plant

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