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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. club — for dancing
  3. bat — the animal
  4. root — the cause
  5. march — the month
  6. current — happening now
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. key — the most important part
  9. roll — a list
  10. club — a group
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. root — of a plant
  14. key — in music
  15. march — music
  16. rule — government
  17. current — of water
  18. root — of a word
  19. roll — a cake
  20. key — for a lock
  21. club — for golf
  22. rule — a law
  23. march — the month
  24. current — electric

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