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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. root — of a plant
  3. key — for a lock
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. current — electric
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. dip — to sink
  8. spell — a short time
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. current — happening now
  11. spell — letters
  12. suit — clothes
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. mine — for digging
  15. prune — to trim
  16. spell — magic
  17. suit — in cards
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. key — in music
  20. prune — to trim
  21. current — of water
  22. key — the most important part
  23. root — the cause
  24. suit — to fit

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