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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. bat — the animal
  3. spring — of water
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. root — of a word
  6. key — the most important part
  7. root — the cause
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. cue — a signal
  10. cue — a hint
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. key — for a lock
  14. root — of a plant
  15. key — in music
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. spring — a coil
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. cue — for pool
  21. scale — size or range
  22. spring — the season
  23. board — to get on
  24. board — a committee

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