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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 120 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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. key — the most important part
  3. root — of a plant
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. root — the cause
  7. content — happy
  8. key — in music
  9. content — the amount
  10. key — for a lock
  11. race — humankind
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. race — a contest
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. root — of a word
  18. plane — a tool
  19. bass — the fish
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. race — the arms race
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. content — videos and posts

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