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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. rock — a stone
  3. rock — music
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. root — of a plant
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. last — finally
  8. rest — a break
  9. key — for a lock
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. last — final
  12. key — the most important part
  13. game — a match
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. root — of a word
  16. game — wild animals
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. key — in music
  21. rest — what's left
  22. root — the cause
  23. rest — what's left
  24. safe — out of danger

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