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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. root — of a word
  3. club — a group
  4. snap — to click
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. march — music
  8. club — for dancing
  9. root — of a plant
  10. fork — in a road
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. march — the month
  13. wind — moving air
  14. club — for golf
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. wind — moving air
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. march — the month
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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