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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. spell — magic
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. root — of a plant
  6. board — a committee
  7. fork — in a road
  8. pop — music
  9. pop — to visit
  10. root — the cause
  11. key — in music
  12. key — the most important part
  13. board — to get on
  14. root — of a word
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. track — a path
  17. track — to keep track
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. spell — a short time
  20. pop — soda
  21. spell — letters
  22. sharp — clever
  23. key — for a lock
  24. track — a song

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