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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. fine — high quality
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. ground — crushed
  5. current — electric
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. ground — the earth
  9. fine — all right
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. current — happening now
  12. fork — in a road
  13. lie — to recline
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. root — the cause
  16. current — of water
  17. present — there
  18. present — the time now
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. root — of a plant
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. root — of a word
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. present — a gift

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