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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. root — of a plant
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. board — to get on
  5. sharp — clever
  6. root — of a word
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. root — the cause
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. bound — tied together
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. fork — in a road
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. bound — certain
  22. board — a committee
  23. mine — for digging
  24. ruler — a monarch

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