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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. root — the cause
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. key — the most important part
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. race — humankind
  9. land — ground
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. root — of a word
  13. root — of a plant
  14. race — the arms race
  15. race — a contest
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. key — for a lock
  19. key — in music
  20. land — to come down
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. content — the amount
  23. land — a country
  24. content — happy

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