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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're almost out of ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. craft — boats
  5. spring — a coil
  6. root — the cause
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. spring — of water
  9. pop — music
  10. key — in music
  11. pop — to visit
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. root — of a plant
  14. craft — a skill
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. spring — the season
  17. chair — a leader
  18. key — for a lock
  19. deal — to handle
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. key — the most important part
  22. root — of a word
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. pitcher — a jug

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