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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. prune — to trim
  3. root — of a word
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bank — for money
  6. firm — decided
  7. root — the cause
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bank — for money
  11. scale — in music
  12. scale — size or range
  13. drill — the tool
  14. wind — moving air
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. fork — in a road
  17. drill — army training
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. firm — steady
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. firm — a company
  23. drill — a practice
  24. root — of a plant

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