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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. suit — in cards
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. deal — to handle
  5. suit — to fit
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. court — of a king
  8. ground — the earth
  9. root — the cause
  10. march — music
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. suit — clothes
  13. root — of a word
  14. ground — a position
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. ground — crushed
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. march — the month
  20. march — the month
  21. root — of a plant
  22. fork — in a road
  23. court — for sport
  24. court — of law

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