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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 124 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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. game — a match
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. saw — the tool
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. current — of water
  10. game — wild animals
  11. fork — in a road
  12. root — the cause
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. root — of a plant
  15. saw — the tool
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. current — happening now
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. current — electric
  24. fan — a supporter

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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