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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 need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. key — for a lock
  3. key — the most important part
  4. track — a song
  5. game — wild animals
  6. saw — the tool
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. saw — the tool
  9. pop — to visit
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. race — a contest
  12. track — a path
  13. pop — music
  14. race — humankind
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. pop — soda
  17. game — a match
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. root — of a plant
  20. track — to keep track
  21. key — in music
  22. race — the arms race
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. root — of a word

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