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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. root — the cause
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. object — an aim
  5. spring — a coil
  6. spring — the season
  7. spring — of water
  8. root — of a plant
  9. mine — for digging
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. object — to protest
  12. face — to point toward
  13. stock — goods
  14. face — to confront
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. root — of a word
  18. face — part of the head
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. stock — shares
  21. object — a thing
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. calf — a young animal

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