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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. last — finally
  4. last — to go on
  5. suit — clothes
  6. bank — of a river
  7. last — final
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fine — high quality
  11. fork — in a road
  12. suit — to fit
  13. bank — for money
  14. key — for a lock
  15. key — the most important part
  16. root — of a plant
  17. suit — in cards
  18. root — the cause
  19. fine — all right
  20. key — in music
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. root — of a word

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