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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. mate — a friend
  5. mate — a partner
  6. root — of a plant
  7. suit — to fit
  8. root — the cause
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. mate — to breed
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. suit — in cards
  15. row — a line
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. cold — an illness
  18. cold — not warm
  19. row — to paddle
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. suit — clothes
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. root — of a word
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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