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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. root — of a word
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. mine — for digging
  6. branch — a division
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. club — for golf
  9. root — of a plant
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. fork — in a road
  12. root — the cause
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. club — for dancing
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. club — a group
  20. season — of the year
  21. season — in sport
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. pass — a permit
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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