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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 116 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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. root — the cause
  3. root — of a plant
  4. land — to come down
  5. land — ground
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. key — for a lock
  9. bat — the animal
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. saw — the tool
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. key — in music
  14. key — the most important part
  15. present — the time now
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. present — a gift
  18. present — there
  19. sharp — clever
  20. root — of a word
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. land — a country

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