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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. root — the cause
  3. bear — the animal
  4. root — of a plant
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. season — in sport
  7. bear — the animal
  8. key — the most important part
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. season — of the year
  11. ground — the earth
  12. stand — to bear
  13. root — of a word
  14. ground — crushed
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. ground — a position
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. key — in music
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. racket — for tennis

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