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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. root — the cause
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. root — of a plant
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. club — for golf
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. club — a group
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. stock — goods
  15. march — the month
  16. club — for dancing
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. stock — shares
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. march — the month
  22. march — music
  23. fork — in a road
  24. fork — a garden tool

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