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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 120 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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. root — the cause
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. key — for a lock
  9. cue — a signal
  10. root — of a plant
  11. ball — a dance
  12. ball — a great time
  13. cue — a hint
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. tube — the underground
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. key — in music
  18. cue — for pool
  19. tube — a container
  20. root — of a word
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. sharp — clever

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