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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  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. root — of a word
  2. fork — in a road
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. spring — a coil
  5. root — of a plant
  6. rule — government
  7. rule — a law
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. spring — of water
  11. charge — a price
  12. charge — electricity
  13. craft — boats
  14. craft — a skill
  15. capital — a city
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. charge — in control
  18. root — the cause
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. capital — money
  23. spring — the season
  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