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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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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: lash · kick · key · club · bound · perch · ground · root

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. perch — the fish
  3. club — for dancing
  4. root — the cause
  5. club — a group
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. bound — obliged
  8. ground — a position
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. ground — the earth
  11. ground — crushed
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. root — of a word
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. club — for golf
  17. root — of a plant
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. key — in music
  20. key — for a lock
  21. kick — in football
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. bound — certain
  24. key — the most important part

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