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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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. fork — in a road
  3. cue — a signal
  4. root — of a plant
  5. key — for a lock
  6. present — a gift
  7. root — of a word
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. cue — a hint
  11. mine — for digging
  12. key — the most important part
  13. cap — a lid
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. cap — a hat
  17. key — in music
  18. cue — for pool
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rush — hurry
  21. present — the time now
  22. root — the cause
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. present — there

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