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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 120 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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  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. temple — a place of worship
  2. root — of a word
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. root — the cause
  5. cap — a hat
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. cue — for pool
  8. track — to keep track
  9. ground — crushed
  10. cap — a lid
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. fork — in a road
  13. track — a song
  14. cue — a hint
  15. root — of a plant
  16. ground — the earth
  17. cue — a signal
  18. cap — of ice
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. track — a path
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. ground — a position
  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