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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. fork — in a road
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. root — of a word
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. degree — temperature
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. root — the cause
  14. degree — from a university
  15. saw — the tool
  16. degree — an amount
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. drill — the tool
  19. drill — army training
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. ball — a dance
  22. drill — a practice
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. ball — a great time

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