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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. key — in music
  3. pit — in a race
  4. root — of a word
  5. bear — the animal
  6. sharp — clever
  7. key — for a lock
  8. root — the cause
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. pit — a hole
  11. root — of a plant
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. key — the most important part
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. chest — a box
  16. chest — of your body
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. roll — a cake
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. branch — a division
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. roll — a list

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