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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. present — the time now
  3. key — the most important part
  4. can — a tin
  5. key — for a lock
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. can — to be able to
  9. clip — to cut
  10. clip — for paper
  11. present — there
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. key — in music
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. root — of a word
  16. root — of a plant
  17. ground — a position
  18. can — a tin
  19. root — the cause
  20. ground — crushed
  21. ground — the earth
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. present — a gift
  24. clip — a video

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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