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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. root — of a plant
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bound — certain
  6. key — for a lock
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. root — of a word
  10. hand — help
  11. mark — a grade
  12. mark — a trace
  13. key — the most important part
  14. pop — soda
  15. key — in music
  16. hand — in cards
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. root — the cause
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. pop — to visit
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. bound — tied together
  24. nail — on a finger

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