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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. field — farmland
  5. root — the cause
  6. rock — a stone
  7. season — in sport
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. mark — a trace
  10. root — of a plant
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. craft — a skill
  14. field — a subject
  15. field — for sport
  16. mark — a grade
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. season — of the year
  20. rock — music
  21. craft — boats
  22. fork — in a road
  23. plane — a tool
  24. root — of a word

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