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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. march — music
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. key — for a lock
  6. key — in music
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. bat — the animal
  10. vault — a safe
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. march — the month
  13. key — the most important part
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. root — of a plant
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. root — of a word
  23. march — the month
  24. bowl — a football final

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