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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 need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. fork — in a road
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. stem — to come from
  6. rest — what's left
  7. march — the month
  8. rest — what's left
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. root — of a word
  12. march — music
  13. root — of a plant
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. mine — for digging
  18. rest — a break
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. march — the month
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. chair — a leader
  24. mouse — for a computer

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