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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. pop — music
  3. pop — to visit
  4. last — finally
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. rush — hurry
  8. pop — soda
  9. root — of a word
  10. land — ground
  11. last — final
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. land — a country
  14. mark — a grade
  15. root — the cause
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. land — to come down
  18. root — of a plant
  19. last — to go on
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. mark — a trace
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. rush — a thrill

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