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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. fine — high quality
  3. fine — all right
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. foot — a measure
  6. root — the cause
  7. ball — a great time
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stand — to bear
  10. key — for a lock
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. root — of a plant
  14. key — in music
  15. ball — a dance
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. root — of a word
  19. fork — in a road
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. key — the most important part
  24. ball — a round shape

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