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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  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. row — to paddle
  3. spell — letters
  4. root — of a plant
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. kid — child
  8. pit — in a race
  9. kid — to tease
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. key — for a lock
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. spell — a short time
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. key — in music
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. chip — to eat
  18. spell — magic
  19. pit — a hole
  20. chip — for betting
  21. root — of a word
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. row — a line
  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