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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. fork — in a road
  3. shower — rain
  4. band — a music group
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. shower — to wash
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. root — of a word
  9. deal — to handle
  10. root — the cause
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. bear — the animal
  14. band — a ring
  15. cap — a lid
  16. land — ground
  17. root — of a plant
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. bear — the animal
  20. land — to come down
  21. cap — a hat
  22. cap — of ice
  23. land — a country
  24. fork — a garden tool

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