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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. track — to keep track
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. swing — to play on
  5. root — of a plant
  6. root — of a word
  7. mine — for digging
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. firm — decided
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. root — the cause
  12. march — the month
  13. firm — steady
  14. lean — thin
  15. firm — a company
  16. swing — in golf
  17. track — a song
  18. march — music
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. swing — music
  21. march — the month
  22. track — a path
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. lean — to bend

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