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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.

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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. club — for dancing
  3. last — finally
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. club — a group
  6. club — for golf
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. mug — a face
  9. root — of a word
  10. key — in music
  11. key — the most important part
  12. spring — the season
  13. spring — of water
  14. sharp — clever
  15. root — the cause
  16. deal — to handle
  17. mug — to rob
  18. root — of a plant
  19. mug — a cup
  20. last — to go on
  21. last — final
  22. key — for a lock
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. spring — a coil

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