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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. root — of a plant
  3. bank — for money
  4. key — the most important part
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. root — the cause
  7. pop — to visit
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. pop — music
  10. bank — for money
  11. season — of the year
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. season — in sport
  14. key — in music
  15. pass — a permit
  16. bark — to shout
  17. root — of a word
  18. sharp — clever
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bank — of a river
  22. key — for a lock
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. sharp — with an edge

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