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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 120 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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. root — of a plant
  3. court — of a king
  4. sharp — clever
  5. race — humankind
  6. root — the cause
  7. rush — hurry
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. root — of a word
  10. wake — a trail
  11. court — for sport
  12. race — the arms race
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. race — a contest
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. court — of law
  23. bark — to shout
  24. rush — a thrill

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