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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. suit — in cards
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. suit — to fit
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. root — the cause
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. root — of a plant
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. key — for a lock
  14. pop — to visit
  15. key — the most important part
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. fine — all right
  18. pop — music
  19. key — in music
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. root — of a word
  22. suit — clothes
  23. pop — soda
  24. fine — high quality

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