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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. key — for a lock
  4. root — of a word
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. tube — the underground
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bear — the animal
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. charge — a price
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. charge — in control
  14. root — of a plant
  15. content — happy
  16. tube — a container
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. content — the amount
  19. charge — electricity
  20. fork — in a road
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. key — in music
  24. root — the cause

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