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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: key · root · object · bay · game · pitch · cold · rock

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. root — the cause
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. game — wild animals
  6. key — for a lock
  7. game — a match
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. rock — music
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. root — of a plant
  12. cold — an illness
  13. object — an aim
  14. rock — a stone
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. key — in music
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. key — the most important part
  20. object — to protest
  21. pitch — completely
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. object — a thing
  24. root — of a word

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