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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  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. root — the cause
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. key — in music
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. fine — high quality
  6. root — of a word
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. key — the most important part
  9. cold — not warm
  10. rock — a stone
  11. bear — the animal
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. saw — the tool
  14. fine — all right
  15. key — for a lock
  16. rock — music
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. chair — a leader
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. cold — an illness
  22. bear — the animal
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  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