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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  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. root — the cause
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. root — of a word
  4. cell — a phone
  5. root — of a plant
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. key — in music
  8. cue — a signal
  9. cell — in biology
  10. key — the most important part
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. cue — for pool
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. scale — in music
  17. degree — an amount
  18. scale — size or range
  19. chair — a leader
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. degree — from a university
  22. key — for a lock
  23. cue — a hint
  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