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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. game — wild animals
  3. pop — music
  4. spring — of water
  5. key — for a lock
  6. game — a match
  7. track — a path
  8. key — in music
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. root — of a word
  11. pop — to visit
  12. pop — soda
  13. spring — a coil
  14. key — the most important part
  15. track — to keep track
  16. track — a song
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. spring — the season
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. root — of a plant
  22. mate — a partner
  23. mate — a friend
  24. root — the cause

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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