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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 am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. scale — in music
  3. branch — a division
  4. root — of a word
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. root — the cause
  13. fork — in a road
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. net — in sport
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. sharp — clever
  18. net — after costs
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. scale — size or range
  23. root — of a plant
  24. net — for catching

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