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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. row — a line
  3. root — the cause
  4. key — the most important part
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. rash — hasty
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. club — for dancing
  9. capital — money
  10. root — of a plant
  11. charge — in control
  12. row — to paddle
  13. rash — a series
  14. charge — a price
  15. club — for golf
  16. charge — electricity
  17. squash — to crush
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. club — a group
  20. key — for a lock
  21. squash — the sport
  22. capital — a city
  23. key — in music
  24. capital — a big letter

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