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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 120 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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. root — of a word
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. capital — a city
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. root — the cause
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. root — of a plant
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. fork — in a road
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. face — part of the head
  16. capital — money
  17. face — to confront
  18. face — to point toward

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