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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. spring — the season
  5. land — to come down
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. board — a committee
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. spring — a coil
  11. content — the amount
  12. land — ground
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. root — the cause
  16. content — happy
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. board — to get on
  19. land — a country
  20. root — of a plant
  21. spring — of water
  22. root — of a word
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. coach — a trainer

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