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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. march — the month
  3. root — the cause
  4. degree — from a university
  5. march — the month
  6. can — a tin
  7. mate — a friend
  8. root — of a plant
  9. key — for a lock
  10. root — of a word
  11. can — a tin
  12. key — the most important part
  13. tube — a container
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. degree — an amount
  16. rash — hasty
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. tube — the underground
  19. degree — temperature
  20. key — in music
  21. march — music
  22. mate — to breed
  23. rash — a series
  24. mate — a partner

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