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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 came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  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 — in a road
  2. rule — a law
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. bear — the animal
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. stand — to bear
  8. band — a ring
  9. last — to go on
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. branch — a division
  12. rule — government
  13. root — the cause
  14. root — of a word
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. band — a music group
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. bear — the animal
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. last — finally
  22. last — final
  23. bear — to put up with
  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