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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: key · pit · sharp · bowl · root · jam · rash · kick

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. kick — in football
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. sharp — clever
  9. root — the cause
  10. key — for a lock
  11. pit — a hole
  12. key — in music
  13. rash — hasty
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. pit — in a race
  19. key — the most important part
  20. root — of a plant
  21. rash — a series
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. sharp — exactly

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