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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. root — the cause
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. ground — the earth
  6. ground — crushed
  7. ground — a position
  8. prune — to trim
  9. chip — to eat
  10. fork — in a road
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bark — to shout
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. board — a committee
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. board — to get on
  18. chip — for betting
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. root — of a plant
  21. root — of a word
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. sharp — clever
  24. sharp — with an edge

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