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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 a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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 plant
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. root — the cause
  5. rash — a series
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pop — to visit
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pop — soda
  11. pop — music
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. march — the month
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. kid — to tease
  16. march — music
  17. rash — hasty
  18. root — of a word
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. march — the month
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. kid — child
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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