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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. firm — a company
  3. root — the cause
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. firm — decided
  6. key — the most important part
  7. hand — in cards
  8. cue — for pool
  9. cue — a hint
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. root — of a plant
  12. firm — steady
  13. spell — letters
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. hand — help
  17. band — a ring
  18. spell — magic
  19. key — in music
  20. spell — a short time
  21. cue — a signal
  22. root — of a word
  23. band — a music group
  24. pitcher — a jug

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