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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 120 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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. root — of a word
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. key — for a lock
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. bear — the animal
  12. key — the most important part
  13. foot — a measure
  14. root — of a plant
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bat — the animal
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. plane — a tool
  19. prune — to trim
  20. key — in music
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. bear — the animal
  23. fork — in a road
  24. fork — a garden tool

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