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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. key — for a lock
  4. root — of a plant
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. key — the most important part
  7. hand — in cards
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. hand — help
  10. rush — hurry
  11. game — wild animals
  12. root — the cause
  13. game — a match
  14. mug — a cup
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. key — in music
  17. mug — a face
  18. 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