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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. bear — the animal
  3. tear — to rip
  4. swing — music
  5. pop — to visit
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. craft — a skill
  8. tear — from crying
  9. root — of a plant
  10. key — the most important part
  11. root — the cause
  12. pop — music
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. craft — boats
  16. pop — soda
  17. bear — the animal
  18. swing — to play on
  19. tear — from crying
  20. root — of a word
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. swing — in golf
  24. key — in music

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