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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 need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. root — of a word
  5. last — to go on
  6. firm — a company
  7. club — for golf
  8. object — a thing
  9. fork — in a road
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. club — a group
  12. firm — decided
  13. last — final
  14. firm — steady
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. club — for dancing
  17. last — finally
  18. season — of the year
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. object — an aim
  21. season — in sport
  22. root — of a plant
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. object — to protest

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