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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: root · bank · key · rule · pitch · cell · current · game

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. key — the most important part
  3. rule — government
  4. game — wild animals
  5. game — a match
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. cell — a phone
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. rule — a law
  12. root — the cause
  13. bank — for money
  14. current — electric
  15. root — of a word
  16. root — of a plant
  17. key — for a lock
  18. current — of water
  19. current — happening now
  20. key — in music
  21. bank — of a river
  22. bank — for money
  23. cell — in biology
  24. rule — to rule out

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