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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. spring — a coil
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. root — the cause
  5. spring — of water
  6. swing — in golf
  7. key — for a lock
  8. swing — music
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. root — of a plant
  11. spring — the season
  12. spell — magic
  13. swing — to play on
  14. key — in music
  15. root — of a word
  16. stock — goods
  17. current — happening now
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. current — electric
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. spell — a short time
  22. current — of water
  23. key — the most important part
  24. stock — shares

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