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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 need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. net — after costs
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. club — for golf
  7. key — for a lock
  8. root — of a word
  9. net — for catching
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. club — for dancing
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. club — a group
  17. root — of a plant
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. key — in music
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. dip — to sink
  23. net — in sport
  24. key — the most important part

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