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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. key — the most important part
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. prune — to trim
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. root — of a plant
  9. rock — a stone
  10. band — a music group
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. game — wild animals
  13. key — in music
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. content — happy
  16. key — for a lock
  17. root — the cause
  18. prune — to trim
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. rock — music
  21. band — a ring
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. root — of a word
  24. content — the amount

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