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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 124 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 a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. root — of a word
  3. key — for a lock
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. rush — hurry
  6. march — the month
  7. key — the most important part
  8. net — in sport
  9. net — after costs
  10. present — a gift
  11. key — in music
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. march — the month
  16. present — the time now
  17. march — music
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. game — wild animals
  20. root — the cause
  21. net — for catching
  22. game — a match
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. present — there

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