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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. firm — decided
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. firm — steady
  12. pound — a weight
  13. bank — for money
  14. root — of a plant
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. root — the cause
  17. rule — a law
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. root — of a word
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bank — for money
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. rule — government
  24. fork — in a road

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