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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 120 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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. root — of a word
  4. root — the cause
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. net — in sport
  8. root — of a plant
  9. game — a match
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. sharp — clever
  12. key — the most important part
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. key — for a lock
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. key — in music
  17. game — wild animals
  18. wax — to grow
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. mine — for digging
  21. net — for catching
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. net — after costs
  24. mine — belonging to me

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