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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. key — in music
  3. chest — of your body
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. pitch — completely
  6. can — a tin
  7. rock — a stone
  8. chest — of your body
  9. march — the month
  10. key — for a lock
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. root — of a plant
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. can — a tin
  16. march — music
  17. can — to be able to
  18. dip — to sink
  19. root — the cause
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. march — the month
  22. chest — a box
  23. root — of a word
  24. rock — music

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