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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. can — to be able to
  3. rest — what's left
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. cue — a hint
  6. key — for a lock
  7. can — a tin
  8. degree — temperature
  9. rest — a break
  10. can — a tin
  11. degree — an amount
  12. key — the most important part
  13. degree — from a university
  14. root — of a word
  15. cue — a signal
  16. root — of a plant
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. key — in music
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. cue — for pool
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rash — hasty
  23. rash — a series
  24. root — the cause

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