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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. root — of a plant
  7. suit — in cards
  8. net — for catching
  9. root — the cause
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. net — in sport
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. row — to paddle
  15. suit — clothes
  16. fork — in a road
  17. net — after costs
  18. rest — what's left
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. rest — what's left
  21. date — the fruit
  22. root — of a word
  23. suit — to fit
  24. row — a line

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