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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 120 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 came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. root — of a word
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. pass — a permit
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. fine — high quality
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. content — the amount
  11. root — of a plant
  12. root — the cause
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. kick — in football
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. content — happy
  23. fine — all right
  24. pass — to spend time

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