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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. current — happening now
  4. spell — magic
  5. root — of a word
  6. current — electric
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. root — the cause
  10. fork — in a road
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. current — of water
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. spell — letters
  17. spell — a short time
  18. root — of a plant

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