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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.

Make a worksheet

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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. root — the cause
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. key — in music
  6. march — music
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. root — of a plant
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. key — the most important part
  14. wake — a trail
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. march — the month
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bass — the fish
  19. root — of a word
  20. bass — low music
  21. chair — a leader
  22. key — for a lock
  23. march — the month
  24. fork — in a road

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