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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. key — the most important part
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. pop — soda
  5. swing — to play on
  6. pop — music
  7. pop — to visit
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. swing — in golf
  11. clip — for paper
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. key — in music
  15. root — of a word
  16. clip — to cut
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. swing — music
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. clip — a video
  22. root — the cause
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. root — of a plant

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