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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. key — in music
  3. root — of a plant
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. key — for a lock
  6. root — the cause
  7. spring — the season
  8. root — of a word
  9. board — a committee
  10. file — a tool
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. swing — in golf
  13. spring — of water
  14. swing — to play on
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. spring — a coil
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. key — the most important part
  19. fork — in a road
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. board — to get on
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. file — a line of people
  24. swing — music

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