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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. root — the cause
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. fork — in a road
  6. last — to go on
  7. squash — the sport
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. last — finally
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. roll — a list
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. roll — a cake
  15. squash — to crush
  16. key — in music
  17. root — of a word
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. root — of a plant
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. key — the most important part
  22. key — for a lock
  23. last — final
  24. fork — a garden tool

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