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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. track — a song
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. key — in music
  5. hand — in cards
  6. root — of a plant
  7. fine — high quality
  8. rush — hurry
  9. track — to keep track
  10. root — the cause
  11. track — a path
  12. mark — a trace
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. key — the most important part
  17. key — for a lock
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. fine — all right
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. hand — help
  23. mark — a grade
  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