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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. bass — low music
  3. spell — a short time
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. root — the cause
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. bass — the fish
  8. key — for a lock
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. kid — child
  11. key — in music
  12. kid — to tease
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. spell — letters
  17. fork — in a road
  18. spell — magic
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. mine — for digging
  21. key — the most important part
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. root — of a word
  24. mine — an explosive

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