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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. staff — employees
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. pop — music
  5. key — for a lock
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. mate — a friend
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pop — soda
  10. scale — in music
  11. key — the most important part
  12. staff — a stick
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. root — the cause
  16. root — of a word
  17. mate — to breed
  18. bear — the animal
  19. mate — a partner
  20. scale — size or range
  21. root — of a plant
  22. staff — employees
  23. key — in music
  24. bear — the animal

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