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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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468
Word bank
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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. object — an aim
  3. march — the month
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. object — a thing
  6. ball — a dance
  7. ball — a great time
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. cell — a phone
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. march — the month
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. object — to protest
  15. root — of a plant
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. fork — in a road
  18. cell — in biology
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. root — of a word
  22. march — music
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. root — the cause

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