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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. ground — crushed
  4. key — for a lock
  5. root — the cause
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. swing — to play on
  8. cue — a hint
  9. root — of a plant
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. ground — a position
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. bear — the animal
  14. ground — the earth
  15. bear — the animal
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. key — the most important part
  18. stand — to bear
  19. root — of a word
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. swing — in golf
  22. cue — a signal
  23. cue — for pool
  24. swing — music

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