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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: bore · board · pitcher · band · pass · key · root · spell

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. spell — a short time
  4. spell — magic
  5. key — for a lock
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. band — a ring
  8. board — a committee
  9. board — to get on
  10. spell — letters
  11. key — in music
  12. band — a music group
  13. root — of a word
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. key — the most important part
  17. root — of a plant
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bore — to tire
  23. root — the cause
  24. pass — a permit

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