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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. spring — of water
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. firm — steady
  6. track — to keep track
  7. track — a path
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. fork — in a road
  10. rash — hasty
  11. rash — a series
  12. firm — a company
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. spring — a coil
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. root — of a plant
  18. spring — the season
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. track — a song
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. root — the cause
  23. root — of a word
  24. sharp — clever

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