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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: clip · key · can · staff · kick · land · root · field

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. root — of a plant
  3. key — in music
  4. clip — for paper
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. field — for sport
  8. root — the cause
  9. can — a tin
  10. land — a country
  11. staff — a stick
  12. field — a subject
  13. clip — to cut
  14. key — the most important part
  15. kick — in football
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — employees
  18. clip — a video
  19. can — a tin
  20. root — of a word
  21. land — to come down
  22. land — ground
  23. can — to be able to
  24. key — for a lock

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