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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 120 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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. root — of a plant
  3. stem — to come from
  4. root — the cause
  5. spell — letters
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. track — to keep track
  8. pop — music
  9. spell — magic
  10. track — a song
  11. charge — in control
  12. track — a path
  13. charge — electricity
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. key — in music
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. pop — to visit
  19. charge — a price
  20. key — for a lock
  21. root — of a word
  22. spell — a short time
  23. pop — soda
  24. nail — for a hammer

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