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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. root — the cause
  3. field — for sport
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. object — to protest
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. field — a subject
  8. firm — steady
  9. mark — a trace
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. root — of a word
  12. firm — decided
  13. fork — in a road
  14. object — an aim
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. field — farmland
  17. object — a thing
  18. mark — a grade
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. root — of a plant
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. plane — a tool
  23. snap — to click
  24. fork — a garden tool

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