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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 116 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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. root — of a word
  3. cap — of ice
  4. march — the month
  5. bulb — for light
  6. cap — a hat
  7. key — the most important part
  8. degree — temperature
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. march — the month
  11. degree — from a university
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. cap — a lid
  14. root — the cause
  15. key — for a lock
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. key — in music
  18. march — music
  19. degree — an amount
  20. bulb — for light
  21. root — of a plant
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. bowl — a football final

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