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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. pound — a weight
  3. pop — to visit
  4. craft — a skill
  5. pop — soda
  6. key — in music
  7. root — of a plant
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. root — the cause
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. wax — to grow
  12. degree — from a university
  13. degree — temperature
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. cue — a hint
  17. pop — music
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. key — for a lock
  20. root — of a word
  21. cue — a signal
  22. cue — for pool
  23. degree — an amount
  24. craft — boats

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