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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 124 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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. root — of a plant
  3. root — the cause
  4. key — for a lock
  5. key — the most important part
  6. spell — letters
  7. roll — a list
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. fork — in a road
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. clip — for paper
  13. clip — a video
  14. roll — a cake
  15. key — in music
  16. root — of a word
  17. chip — to eat
  18. spell — a short time
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. dip — to sink
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. chip — for betting
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. clip — to cut

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