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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. root — the cause
  4. key — in music
  5. drill — army training
  6. stock — shares
  7. saw — the tool
  8. can — to be able to
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. root — of a plant
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. key — the most important part
  14. drill — the tool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. root — of a word
  17. drill — a practice
  18. branch — a division
  19. season — in sport
  20. can — a tin
  21. stock — goods
  22. season — of the year
  23. key — for a lock
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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