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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 need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. saw — the tool
  3. ground — a position
  4. root — of a word
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. swing — music
  7. swing — in golf
  8. can — a tin
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. ground — crushed
  11. swing — to play on
  12. land — a country
  13. fork — in a road
  14. root — of a plant
  15. ground — the earth
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. land — to come down
  18. can — to be able to
  19. can — a tin
  20. band — a music group
  21. saw — the tool
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. land — ground
  24. band — a ring

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