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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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. last — to go on
  3. key — the most important part
  4. suit — in cards
  5. pop — soda
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. key — for a lock
  8. bank — of a river
  9. pop — music
  10. bass — low music
  11. hand — help
  12. root — of a word
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. root — the cause
  15. suit — to fit
  16. bank — for money
  17. pop — to visit
  18. bank — for money
  19. hand — in cards
  20. last — finally
  21. suit — clothes
  22. key — in music
  23. bass — the fish
  24. last — final

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