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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 120 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: leaves · drill · pitch · key · suit · racket · degree · root

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. degree — an amount
  4. pitch — completely
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. root — of a word
  8. root — of a plant
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. key — in music
  11. drill — army training
  12. suit — to fit
  13. key — the most important part
  14. root — the cause
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. degree — temperature
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. suit — in cards
  19. key — for a lock
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. suit — clothes
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. drill — a practice
  24. degree — from a university

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