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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. root — of a word
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. plane — a tool
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. key — for a lock
  10. key — in music
  11. mine — for digging
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. can — to be able to
  14. wake — a trail
  15. root — of a plant
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. perch — the fish
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — a tin
  20. key — the most important part
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. pitcher — a jug

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