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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. root — of a plant
  4. suit — to fit
  5. root — the cause
  6. key — for a lock
  7. root — of a word
  8. lean — thin
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. swing — in golf
  11. craft — a skill
  12. suit — clothes
  13. swing — to play on
  14. craft — boats
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. wake — a trail
  17. suit — in cards
  18. key — in music
  19. season — in sport
  20. lean — to bend
  21. swing — music
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. season — of the year
  24. craft — a handicraft

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