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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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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. root — of a plant
  4. fine — high quality
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. file — a line of people
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. root — the cause
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. fork — in a road
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. bear — the animal
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. current — of water
  16. file — a document
  17. root — of a word
  18. hand — help
  19. current — happening now
  20. bear — the animal
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. file — a tool
  23. current — electric
  24. fine — all right

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