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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 need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. root — of a word
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. key — for a lock
  8. scale — size or range
  9. key — in music
  10. fork — in a road
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. scale — in music
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. key — the most important part
  18. wax — to grow
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. sharp — clever
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. root — of a plant
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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