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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. root — of a plant
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. mate — a friend
  8. mate — to breed
  9. current — of water
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. root — the cause
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. fork — in a road
  15. current — electric
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. mine — for digging
  20. branch — a division
  21. perch — the fish
  22. current — happening now
  23. root — of a word
  24. mate — a partner

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