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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. root — the cause
  3. clip — for paper
  4. mate — a partner
  5. cap — of ice
  6. tube — a container
  7. firm — a company
  8. root — of a plant
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. net — after costs
  11. firm — decided
  12. key — in music
  13. root — of a word
  14. cap — a lid
  15. key — for a lock
  16. cap — a hat
  17. firm — steady
  18. clip — a video
  19. net — in sport
  20. clip — to cut
  21. net — for catching
  22. mate — a friend
  23. key — the most important part
  24. tube — the underground

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