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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. root — the cause
  3. bank — for money
  4. key — for a lock
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. pop — soda
  7. scale — size or range
  8. pop — to visit
  9. key — the most important part
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. bank — of a river
  12. key — in music
  13. bank — for money
  14. fine — all right
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. fine — high quality
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. scale — in music
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. root — of a plant
  24. root — of a word

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