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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. root — of a word
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. root — of a plant
  6. rock — music
  7. last — finally
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. last — to go on
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. present — there
  15. fork — in a road
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. root — the cause
  18. rock — a stone
  19. last — final
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. present — the time now
  23. present — a gift
  24. fork — to eat with

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