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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: key · kid · deal · root · bowl · wake · bank · pitch

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. kid — child
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. root — the cause
  7. deal — to handle
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. kid — to tease
  10. key — in music
  11. key — for a lock
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. pitch — completely
  17. root — of a plant
  18. wake — a trail
  19. bank — for money
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. root — of a word
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. bank — for money

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