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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. key — the most important part
  5. root — of a plant
  6. kick — in football
  7. march — the month
  8. squash — to crush
  9. root — the cause
  10. root — of a word
  11. fine — high quality
  12. squash — the sport
  13. march — the month
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. key — in music
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. march — music
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. key — for a lock
  24. fine — all right

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