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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 116 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 looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. wound — an injury
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. object — to protest
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. rule — government
  7. root — the cause
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. craft — a skill
  10. rule — a law
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. present — the time now
  13. object — an aim
  14. craft — boats
  15. present — a gift
  16. branch — a division
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. object — a thing
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. present — there
  21. wound — an injury
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. root — of a word
  24. root — of a plant

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