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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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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: fork · spell · bat · degree · key · jam · perch · root

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. root — of a plant
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. spell — letters
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. bat — the animal
  11. degree — temperature
  12. degree — from a university
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. spell — magic
  15. spell — a short time
  16. fork — in a road
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. root — the cause
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. degree — an amount
  21. key — for a lock
  22. key — in music
  23. perch — the fish
  24. root — of a word

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