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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 need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  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. root — the cause
  2. fine — high quality
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. track — a path
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. tear — to rip
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. file — a document
  10. fine — all right
  11. root — of a word
  12. track — a song
  13. file — a tool
  14. tear — from crying
  15. file — a line of people
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. root — of a plant
  18. track — to keep track
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. tear — from crying
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. fork — in a road
  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