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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. fork — in a road
  3. field — farmland
  4. root — of a word
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. craft — boats
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. present — there
  9. bass — the fish
  10. pitch — completely
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. craft — a skill
  13. field — for sport
  14. present — a gift
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. field — a subject
  18. lie — to recline
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. root — of a plant
  22. bass — low music
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. root — the cause

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