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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. staff — employees
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. march — the month
  6. staff — employees
  7. root — of a word
  8. staff — a stick
  9. court — of law
  10. charge — in control
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. root — the cause
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. march — the month
  16. charge — a price
  17. charge — electricity
  18. mine — for digging
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. court — of a king
  21. fork — in a road
  22. march — music
  23. root — of a plant
  24. court — for sport

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