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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 116 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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. deal — to handle
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. mug — a cup
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. land — to come down
  8. land — a country
  9. clip — a video
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. root — of a word
  12. clip — to cut
  13. root — of a plant
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. mug — to rob
  16. land — ground
  17. clip — for paper
  18. root — the cause
  19. saw — the tool
  20. fork — in a road
  21. saw — the tool
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. mug — a face

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