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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 120 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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. key — in music
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. mark — a trace
  5. chest — a box
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. mark — a grade
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. can — to be able to
  10. prune — to trim
  11. root — of a plant
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. chest — of your body
  15. prune — to trim
  16. root — the cause
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. chest — of your body
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — a tin
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. root — of a word
  23. key — for a lock
  24. mark — to pay attention

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