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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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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 · ruler · key · club · root · current · straw · toast

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. club — for golf
  5. root — the cause
  6. key — for a lock
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. toast — bread
  9. current — electric
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. root — of a word
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. current — happening now
  15. pitch — completely
  16. key — in music
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. root — of a plant
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. key — the most important part
  21. club — a group
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. current — of water

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