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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. fork — in a road
  3. kick — in football
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. court — of a king
  7. object — an aim
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. object — to protest
  10. object — a thing
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. court — for sport
  20. root — of a plant
  21. court — of law
  22. toast — bread
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. root — the cause

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