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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. He is an ace ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. can — to be able to
  4. key — in music
  5. track — a path
  6. key — for a lock
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. can — a tin
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — the fish
  11. key — the most important part
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. can — a tin
  15. root — of a plant
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. root — the cause
  19. track — a song
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. track — to keep track
  22. root — of a word
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. bark — to shout

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