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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  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. rash — on the skin
  2. rash — hasty
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. rock — music
  7. root — the cause
  8. rock — a stone
  9. key — in music
  10. key — the most important part
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. root — of a word
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. charge — a price
  15. key — for a lock
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. season — in sport
  18. capital — money
  19. charge — electricity
  20. capital — a city
  21. season — of the year
  22. rash — a series
  23. charge — in control
  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