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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 116 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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. saw — the tool
  3. object — an aim
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. key — for a lock
  6. capital — money
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. root — the cause
  10. capital — a city
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. cell — a phone
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. key — in music
  15. object — a thing
  16. root — of a plant
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. object — to protest
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. root — of a word
  24. key — the most important part

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