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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  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. pitcher — a jug
  2. present — the time now
  3. fork — in a road
  4. root — of a plant
  5. root — the cause
  6. saw — the tool
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. root — of a word
  9. march — the month
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. march — the month
  12. mark — a grade
  13. present — a gift
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. march — music
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. present — there
  18. saw — the tool
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. mark — a trace
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  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