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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. key — the most important part
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. root — the cause
  5. hand — in cards
  6. last — finally
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. suit — clothes
  9. hand — help
  10. suit — in cards
  11. root — of a plant
  12. rash — hasty
  13. root — of a word
  14. last — to go on
  15. suit — to fit
  16. ball — a great time
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. fine — high quality
  19. key — for a lock
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. key — in music
  22. last — final
  23. fine — all right
  24. ball — a dance

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