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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 120 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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. key — in music
  3. pop — soda
  4. ball — a dance
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. ball — a great time
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. shower — rain
  10. shower — to wash
  11. root — of a plant
  12. root — the cause
  13. key — the most important part
  14. suit — clothes
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. root — of a word
  18. pop — music
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. suit — to fit
  21. capital — a city
  22. capital — money
  23. pop — to visit
  24. key — for a lock

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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