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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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. perch — the fish
  4. cap — of ice
  5. row — a line
  6. root — of a word
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. present — the time now
  9. row — to paddle
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. kick — in football
  12. key — in music
  13. cap — a hat
  14. present — there
  15. root — of a plant
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. cap — a lid
  19. season — in sport
  20. season — of the year
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. key — for a lock
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. present — a gift

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