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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. rock — a stone
  3. rock — music
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. root — of a word
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. pass — a permit
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. land — to come down
  10. net — after costs
  11. land — ground
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. net — in sport
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. net — for catching
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. saw — the tool
  19. land — a country
  20. root — of a plant
  21. fork — in a road
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. root — the cause
  24. pass — to succeed

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