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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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Word bank
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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: row · nail · ball · season · rash · staff · root · key

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. root — the cause
  3. season — in sport
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. ball — a great time
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. row — to paddle
  8. staff — employees
  9. root — of a word
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. rash — a series
  12. season — of the year
  13. ball — a dance
  14. root — of a plant
  15. key — the most important part
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. key — for a lock
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. key — in music
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. staff — employees
  22. staff — a stick
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. row — a line

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