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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. degree — from a university
  3. root — the cause
  4. root — of a word
  5. key — for a lock
  6. cue — for pool
  7. degree — an amount
  8. pop — to visit
  9. race — the arms race
  10. key — in music
  11. date — the fruit
  12. cue — a signal
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. race — a contest
  15. cue — a hint
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. pop — soda
  18. root — of a plant
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. key — the most important part
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. race — humankind
  24. degree — temperature

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