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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bound — tied together
  5. root — the cause
  6. bound — certain
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. root — of a plant
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. current — happening now
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. current — electric
  14. prune — to trim
  15. root — of a word
  16. fork — in a road
  17. current — of water
  18. bound — obliged

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