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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: lean · season · game · bark · key · root · spring · charge

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. root — of a word
  3. charge — electricity
  4. spring — the season
  5. spring — of water
  6. game — wild animals
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. charge — in control
  9. season — of the year
  10. key — in music
  11. root — of a plant
  12. season — in sport
  13. spring — a coil
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. key — for a lock
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. bark — to shout
  19. lean — thin
  20. game — a match
  21. charge — a price
  22. lean — to bend
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. root — the cause

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