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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 need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. last — final
  4. fork — in a road
  5. squash — to crush
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. court — of a king
  9. face — to point toward
  10. last — to go on
  11. root — of a word
  12. court — of law
  13. rash — a series
  14. court — for sport
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. root — of a plant
  17. rash — hasty
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. last — finally
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. squash — the sport
  22. stand — to bear
  23. face — part of the head
  24. face — to confront

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