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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 120 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: board · kid · season · root · saw · safe · bat · key

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. board — to get on
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. bat — the animal
  6. key — in music
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. key — the most important part
  9. kid — child
  10. key — for a lock
  11. root — of a word
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. season — in sport
  15. root — of a plant
  16. kid — to tease
  17. saw — the tool
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. season — of the year
  21. board — a committee
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bat — in an idiom

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