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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 116 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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. spring — a coil
  3. key — for a lock
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. court — of law
  6. spring — the season
  7. cap — a lid
  8. root — the cause
  9. cap — a hat
  10. court — of a king
  11. rest — what's left
  12. root — of a plant
  13. court — for sport
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. key — in music
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. rest — a break
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. rest — what's left
  22. key — the most important part
  23. spring — of water
  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