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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. bulb — for light
  5. root — of a plant
  6. root — the cause
  7. date — the fruit
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. root — of a word
  11. mate — a partner
  12. foot — a measure
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. spring — the season
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. spring — a coil
  18. bulb — for light
  19. fork — in a road
  20. mate — to breed
  21. spring — of water
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. mate — a friend
  24. coach — a trainer

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