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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. last — finally
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. cue — for pool
  5. fine — high quality
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. root — of a plant
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. last — final
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. root — of a word
  12. fine — all right
  13. fork — in a road
  14. bore — to tire
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. cue — a signal
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. cue — a hint
  20. branch — a division
  21. last — to go on
  22. bore — to drill
  23. pass — a permit
  24. root — the cause

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