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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. bat — the animal
  3. key — in music
  4. land — a country
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. land — to come down
  7. bass — the fish
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. scale — in music
  11. land — ground
  12. bass — low music
  13. key — for a lock
  14. root — of a word
  15. face — to confront
  16. key — the most important part
  17. face — to point toward
  18. root — of a plant
  19. kid — child
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. kid — to tease
  23. scale — size or range
  24. face — part of the head

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