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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: pitch · rush · squash · root · key · nail · branch · march

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. march — the month
  4. pitch — completely
  5. rush — hurry
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. key — in music
  9. march — music
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. squash — to crush
  12. squash — the sport
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. key — for a lock
  18. march — the month
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. key — the most important part
  22. root — of a plant
  23. root — of a word
  24. root — the cause

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