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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. key — the most important part
  3. prune — to trim
  4. present — a gift
  5. root — of a plant
  6. present — the time now
  7. vault — a safe
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. key — in music
  11. game — a match
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. game — wild animals
  15. root — of a word
  16. present — there
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. chip — for betting
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. chip — to eat
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. key — for a lock
  24. prune — to trim

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