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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  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 — in a road
  2. rest — a break
  3. current — electric
  4. track — a song
  5. current — happening now
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. rest — what's left
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. deal — to handle
  12. track — a path
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. root — of a plant
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. root — of a word
  19. rest — what's left
  20. track — to keep track
  21. current — of water
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. deal — a big deal
  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