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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: snap · game · root · fan · mouse · key · ground · stock

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. game — wild animals
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. ground — crushed
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. snap — to click
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. root — of a plant
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. root — of a word
  12. game — a match
  13. key — in music
  14. root — the cause
  15. key — the most important part
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. ground — a position
  18. ground — the earth
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. stock — shares
  21. stock — goods
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. fan — a supporter

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