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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 120 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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. hand — in cards
  4. key — the most important part
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. key — in music
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. can — a tin
  9. root — of a plant
  10. fine — all right
  11. pound — a weight
  12. pop — to visit
  13. cell — a phone
  14. pop — soda
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. can — a tin
  17. key — for a lock
  18. cell — in biology
  19. fine — high quality
  20. hand — help
  21. root — the cause
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. pop — music
  24. can — to be able to

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