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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. root — the cause
  3. mate — to breed
  4. wound — an injury
  5. root — of a word
  6. cap — a lid
  7. field — a subject
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. key — in music
  11. key — the most important part
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. mate — a partner
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. wound — an injury
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. cap — a hat
  18. mate — a friend
  19. deal — to handle
  20. root — of a plant
  21. field — farmland
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. cap — of ice
  24. field — for sport

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