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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 116 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 usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. stock — shares
  8. prune — to trim
  9. root — the cause
  10. root — of a plant
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mark — a trace
  13. spring — the season
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. stock — goods
  16. fork — in a road
  17. spring — of water
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. root — of a word
  20. mark — a grade
  21. spring — a coil
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. stock — a soup base

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