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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. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. root — of a plant
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. suit — clothes
  9. spell — a short time
  10. suit — in cards
  11. root — the cause
  12. date — the fruit
  13. spell — magic
  14. field — a subject
  15. fork — in a road
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. field — farmland
  18. suit — to fit
  19. spell — letters
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. field — for sport

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