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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 120 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 usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. root — of a word
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. kid — child
  5. root — the cause
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. fall — the season
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bass — low music
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. fine — all right
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fork — in a road
  18. board — a committee
  19. fine — high quality
  20. kid — to tease
  21. board — to get on
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. root — of a plant
  24. bass — the instrument

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