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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. current — happening now
  3. root — of a plant
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. march — music
  6. key — for a lock
  7. squash — the sport
  8. root — of a word
  9. tube — a container
  10. key — in music
  11. squash — to crush
  12. key — the most important part
  13. scale — in music
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. tube — the underground
  16. march — the month
  17. current — electric
  18. scale — size or range
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. current — of water
  24. root — the cause

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