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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. face — to confront
  4. mark — a trace
  5. perch — the fish
  6. key — the most important part
  7. pound — a weight
  8. key — in music
  9. chip — to eat
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. kid — to tease
  12. root — of a word
  13. face — part of the head
  14. root — of a plant
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. face — to point toward
  20. chip — for betting
  21. mark — a grade
  22. kid — child
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. root — the cause

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