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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  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. root — the cause
  2. key — the most important part
  3. root — of a word
  4. mark — a grade
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. root — of a plant
  8. key — in music
  9. suit — clothes
  10. pound — a weight
  11. cold — not warm
  12. key — for a lock
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. mark — a trace
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. staff — employees
  17. suit — to fit
  18. cold — an illness
  19. row — to paddle
  20. staff — a stick
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. row — a line
  23. staff — employees
  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