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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: key · rock · race · snap · root · firm

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. firm — a company
  3. race — the arms race
  4. firm — decided
  5. key — for a lock
  6. race — humankind
  7. key — the most important part
  8. snap — to click
  9. root — of a plant
  10. race — a contest
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. rock — a stone
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. key — in music
  16. root — the cause
  17. root — of a word
  18. rock — music

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