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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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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 · squash · root · dip · lash · deal · fork · scale

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. key — the most important part
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. scale — size or range
  8. scale — in music
  9. key — for a lock
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. deal — to handle
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. fork — in a road
  15. root — of a word
  16. dip — to sink
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. squash — to crush
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. root — of a plant
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. key — in music
  23. squash — the sport
  24. root — the cause

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