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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. key — the most important part
  3. key — in music
  4. rule — government
  5. bore — to tire
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. root — the cause
  8. root — of a word
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. root — of a plant
  11. mark — a grade
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. cap — a hat
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. cap — a lid
  16. drill — the tool
  17. rule — a law
  18. key — for a lock
  19. cap — of ice
  20. drill — army training
  21. ball — a great time
  22. bore — to drill
  23. ball — a dance
  24. mark — a trace

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