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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. root — of a word
  3. firm — a company
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. season — of the year
  6. saw — the tool
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. squash — to crush
  11. root — the cause
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. pop — music
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. firm — steady
  17. squash — the sport
  18. root — of a plant
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. fork — in a road
  21. pop — soda
  22. saw — the tool
  23. season — in sport
  24. firm — decided

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