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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. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. land — to come down
  3. mug — to rob
  4. track — to keep track
  5. key — the most important part
  6. land — a country
  7. drill — a practice
  8. root — of a word
  9. key — in music
  10. track — a path
  11. race — a contest
  12. mug — a cup
  13. drill — army training
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. land — ground
  16. key — for a lock
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. track — a song
  19. mug — a face
  20. race — humankind
  21. drill — the tool
  22. root — of a plant
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. race — the arms race

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