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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. root — of a word
  3. ground — crushed
  4. object — to protest
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. key — for a lock
  9. wake — a trail
  10. root — of a plant
  11. key — in music
  12. ground — the earth
  13. object — a thing
  14. root — the cause
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bass — the fish
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. ground — a position
  21. object — an aim
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. bass — low music

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