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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: staff · key · chair · cabinet · shower · root · nail · net

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. key — the most important part
  4. shower — rain
  5. net — for catching
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. key — for a lock
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. key — in music
  10. root — of a word
  11. net — in sport
  12. staff — employees
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. root — the cause
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. root — of a plant
  18. staff — employees
  19. chair — a leader
  20. staff — a stick
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. net — after costs
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. chair — a professorship

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