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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 came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. craft — boats
  3. root — of a plant
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mark — a grade
  7. drill — army training
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mate — a partner
  10. drill — the tool
  11. capital — a city
  12. capital — money
  13. root — the cause
  14. drill — a practice
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. pound — a weight
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. mate — to breed
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. mark — a trace
  21. craft — a skill
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. root — of a word
  24. capital — a big letter

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