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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. key — for a lock
  3. staff — a stick
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. staff — employees
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. staff — employees
  8. wound — an injury
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. root — of a word
  11. cap — of ice
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. key — the most important part
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. cap — a lid
  16. kick — in football
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. stand — to bear
  19. scale — size or range
  20. wound — an injury
  21. scale — in music
  22. root — of a plant
  23. root — the cause
  24. cap — a hat

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