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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. root — the cause
  4. root — of a plant
  5. ground — the earth
  6. firm — steady
  7. ground — crushed
  8. field — for sport
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. key — in music
  11. firm — a company
  12. firm — decided
  13. key — for a lock
  14. capital — money
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. ground — a position
  18. field — a subject
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. rush — hurry
  21. capital — a city
  22. field — farmland
  23. root — of a word
  24. capital — a big letter

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