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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. rash — hasty
  3. bank — of a river
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. track — a path
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. root — of a plant
  9. kid — to tease
  10. kid — child
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. bank — for money
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. bank — for money
  15. key — in music
  16. root — of a word
  17. key — the most important part
  18. track — to keep track
  19. track — a song
  20. deal — to handle
  21. key — for a lock
  22. root — the cause
  23. rush — hurry
  24. deal — a big deal

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