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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. root — of a word
  3. stock — goods
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. snap — to click
  9. stock — shares
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. drill — a practice
  12. drill — army training
  13. root — the cause
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. content — the amount
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. drill — the tool
  18. rock — a stone
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. sharp — clever
  22. content — happy
  23. rock — music
  24. root — of a plant

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