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

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. root — the cause
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. chair — a leader
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. root — of a plant
  9. key — in music
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. root — of a word
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. key — the most important part
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. capital — money
  18. key — for a lock
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. capital — a city
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. club — for dancing
  23. club — for golf
  24. club — a group

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