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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  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. root — of a word
  2. mug — a cup
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. pass — a permit
  5. key — for a lock
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. spring — the season
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. mug — to rob
  11. spring — of water
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. spring — a coil
  15. row — a line
  16. mug — a face
  17. plane — a tool
  18. scale — size or range
  19. scale — in music
  20. row — to paddle
  21. key — the most important part
  22. key — in music
  23. root — of a plant
  24. root — the cause

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