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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: key · racket · track · toast · squash · pitch · stem · spring

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. toast — bread
  3. track — to keep track
  4. stem — to come from
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. key — for a lock
  8. key — the most important part
  9. squash — the sport
  10. squash — to crush
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. track — a path
  13. spring — the season
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. spring — a coil
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. track — a song
  21. spring — of water
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. pitch — completely

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