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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: rash · degree · mouse · deal · ball · key · pitch · root

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. key — in music
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. rash — a series
  5. key — the most important part
  6. ball — a dance
  7. ball — a great time
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. degree — temperature
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. deal — to handle
  14. key — for a lock
  15. root — the cause
  16. rash — hasty
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. pitch — completely
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. degree — an amount
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. degree — from a university
  23. root — of a plant
  24. root — of a word

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