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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: face · root · present · sharp · jam · kick · club · key

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. present — a gift
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. key — the most important part
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. face — to point toward
  7. root — of a word
  8. root — the cause
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. kick — in football
  11. club — a group
  12. present — there
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. key — for a lock
  15. face — to confront
  16. face — part of the head
  17. club — for golf
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. club — for dancing
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. root — of a plant
  22. key — in music
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. sharp — clever

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