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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. charge — in control
  5. spell — a short time
  6. spell — letters
  7. root — the cause
  8. spring — a coil
  9. charge — electricity
  10. prune — to trim
  11. root — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. spring — of water
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. root — of a word
  17. spell — magic
  18. prune — to trim
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. spring — the season
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. charge — a price
  24. bulb — for light

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