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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 usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. bear — the animal
  3. file — a line of people
  4. root — the cause
  5. bear — the animal
  6. pop — soda
  7. board — to get on
  8. board — a committee
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. pop — to visit
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. root — of a word
  16. fork — in a road
  17. cell — a phone
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. file — a tool
  20. file — a document
  21. pop — music
  22. cell — in biology
  23. root — of a plant
  24. board — a flat piece

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