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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. row — a line
  3. root — the cause
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. vault — a safe
  11. cell — in biology
  12. root — of a word
  13. key — in music
  14. key — the most important part
  15. key — for a lock
  16. root — of a plant
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. suit — clothes
  19. row — to paddle
  20. kid — to tease
  21. suit — to fit
  22. kid — child
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. suit — in cards

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