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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: key · arm · file · spell · wound · root · pitch · fall

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. root — the cause
  4. wound — an injury
  5. root — of a plant
  6. key — in music
  7. spell — a short time
  8. spell — magic
  9. wound — an injury
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. file — a document
  12. file — a line of people
  13. file — a tool
  14. pitch — completely
  15. spell — letters
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. key — for a lock
  19. key — the most important part
  20. fall — to drop
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. root — of a word
  23. fall — the season
  24. arm — part of the body

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