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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. ground — the earth
  3. key — the most important part
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. ground — crushed
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. key — for a lock
  8. root — of a word
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. root — of a plant
  13. ground — a position
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. key — in music
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. mine — for digging
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bark — to shout
  24. bass — low music

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