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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. key — in music
  4. fork — in a road
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. bark — to shout
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. root — of a word
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. root — of a plant
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. root — the cause
  19. scale — in music
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. key — the most important part
  22. key — for a lock
  23. scale — size or range
  24. stem — to come from

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