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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. key — in music
  3. root — the cause
  4. sharp — clever
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. root — of a plant
  8. fine — all right
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. game — a match
  12. kid — to tease
  13. root — of a word
  14. fine — high quality
  15. key — the most important part
  16. kid — child
  17. key — for a lock
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. game — wild animals
  24. ruler — for measuring

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