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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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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 · key · club · fork · current · bore · ball · root

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. root — of a word
  3. bore — to tire
  4. ball — a great time
  5. club — a group
  6. ball — a dance
  7. key — for a lock
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. root — the cause
  10. key — the most important part
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. current — happening now
  13. fork — in a road
  14. club — for golf
  15. current — of water
  16. club — for dancing
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. bore — to drill
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. current — electric
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. key — in music
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. root — of a plant

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