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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. root — of a plant
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. fork — in a road
  5. march — the month
  6. root — of a word
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. march — music
  10. object — to protest
  11. key — in music
  12. pound — a weight
  13. key — for a lock
  14. object — an aim
  15. stand — to bear
  16. key — the most important part
  17. object — a thing
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. root — the cause
  24. stand — for spectators

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