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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: pass · degree · key · fan · root · cell · season · pitch

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. key — the most important part
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. degree — from a university
  7. root — of a word
  8. degree — an amount
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. cell — in biology
  11. degree — temperature
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. root — of a plant
  16. pitch — completely
  17. key — for a lock
  18. key — in music
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. season — in sport
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. cell — a phone
  23. season — of the year
  24. season — to add flavour

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