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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 116 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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. rock — a stone
  5. root — of a plant
  6. key — for a lock
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. root — of a word
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. track — a song
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. root — the cause
  15. track — a path
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. tube — a container
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. wind — moving air
  20. key — in music
  21. track — to keep track
  22. key — the most important part
  23. rock — music
  24. tube — the underground

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