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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: ground · swing · key · root · snap · charge · spring · mouse

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. key — in music
  3. ground — a position
  4. swing — music
  5. swing — to play on
  6. root — of a word
  7. charge — a price
  8. key — for a lock
  9. snap — to click
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. ground — the earth
  12. charge — in control
  13. root — of a plant
  14. ground — crushed
  15. spring — of water
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. spring — the season
  18. charge — electricity
  19. key — the most important part
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. spring — a coil
  22. swing — in golf
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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