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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 116 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: march · ruler · root · stick · saw · key · season · rash

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. march — the month
  3. root — of a word
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. season — in sport
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. rash — hasty
  8. key — in music
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. march — music
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. march — the month
  13. saw — the tool
  14. season — of the year
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. key — for a lock
  19. key — the most important part
  20. saw — the tool
  21. rash — a series
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. root — the cause
  24. ruler — for measuring

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