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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. root — of a word
  3. deal — to handle
  4. fork — in a road
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. net — for catching
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. mate — to breed
  11. tube — a container
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. mate — a partner
  15. root — of a plant
  16. wound — an injury
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. root — the cause
  19. tube — the underground
  20. net — after costs
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. net — in sport
  24. fork — to eat with

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