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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. root — the cause
  3. bank — of a river
  4. present — a gift
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. root — of a word
  7. mate — to breed
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. mate — a friend
  10. key — for a lock
  11. snap — to click
  12. ground — the earth
  13. track — a path
  14. key — in music
  15. mate — a partner
  16. ground — crushed
  17. track — a song
  18. track — to keep track
  19. key — the most important part
  20. bank — for money
  21. present — the time now
  22. bank — for money
  23. present — there
  24. ground — a position

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