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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. fork — in a road
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. root — the cause
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. stock — shares
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. race — humankind
  14. root — of a plant
  15. race — the arms race
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. kick — in football
  18. race — a contest
  19. stock — goods
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. mine — for digging
  24. nail — for a hammer

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