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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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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: bulb · pitch · key · hand · straw · root · date · club

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. club — for dancing
  5. hand — help
  6. key — the most important part
  7. pitch — completely
  8. root — the cause
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. club — a group
  12. key — in music
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. bulb — for light
  15. key — for a lock
  16. club — for golf
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. hand — in cards
  22. bulb — for light
  23. date — the fruit
  24. root — of a plant

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