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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: saw · bat · track · staff · drill · pitch · band · root

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. saw — the tool
  3. staff — a stick
  4. drill — the tool
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. staff — employees
  7. track — to keep track
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. root — of a plant
  10. band — a music group
  11. staff — employees
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. track — a path
  14. drill — army training
  15. root — the cause
  16. root — of a word
  17. pitch — completely
  18. bat — the animal
  19. band — a ring
  20. saw — the tool
  21. drill — a practice
  22. track — a song
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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