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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. present — the time now
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. root — of a plant
  7. march — the month
  8. present — a gift
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. march — the month
  11. fork — in a road
  12. present — there
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. march — music
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. root — the cause
  18. track — a path
  19. track — a song
  20. kid — to tease
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. track — to keep track
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. kid — child

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