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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 124 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 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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 word
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. content — the amount
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. dip — to sink
  8. content — happy
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. key — for a lock
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. mark — a trace
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. hand — in cards
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. root — of a plant
  18. plane — a tool
  19. key — in music
  20. root — the cause
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. hand — help
  24. mark — a grade

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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