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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: key · root · season · straw · hide · jam · club · toast

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. key — for a lock
  4. root — the cause
  5. key — in music
  6. key — the most important part
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. club — for dancing
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. club — for golf
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. root — of a word
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. root — of a plant
  17. season — in sport
  18. club — a group
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. toast — bread
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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