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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. field — farmland
  3. craft — a skill
  4. root — of a plant
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. field — a subject
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. root — of a word
  9. rock — music
  10. key — in music
  11. vault — a safe
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. craft — boats
  16. key — for a lock
  17. root — the cause
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. rock — a stone
  20. kid — child
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. kid — to tease
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. field — for sport

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