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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 came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. key — for a lock
  3. key — the most important part
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. file — a document
  7. root — the cause
  8. root — of a word
  9. key — in music
  10. stand — to bear
  11. file — a line of people
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. fine — all right
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. root — of a plant
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. fine — high quality
  23. file — a tool
  24. fork — to eat with

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