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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. scale — size or range
  3. fork — in a road
  4. rock — a stone
  5. root — the cause
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. firm — steady
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. firm — a company
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. root — of a plant
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. court — for sport
  17. wind — moving air
  18. rock — music
  19. court — of a king
  20. court — of law
  21. scale — in music
  22. firm — decided
  23. wind — moving air
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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