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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. drill — the tool
  4. key — for a lock
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. dip — to sink
  7. cap — a lid
  8. key — in music
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. root — of a plant
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. mark — a trace
  13. root — the cause
  14. drill — army training
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. root — of a word
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. cap — a hat
  20. mark — a grade
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. foot — a measure
  23. key — the most important part
  24. cap — of ice

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