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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 116 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 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. wound — an injury
  4. key — for a lock
  5. root — the cause
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. drill — the tool
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bound — tied together
  13. chip — for betting
  14. key — in music
  15. root — of a plant
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. drill — army training
  18. bound — certain
  19. chip — to eat
  20. drill — a practice
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. key — the most important part
  24. wound — an injury

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