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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. spell — a short time
  4. game — a match
  5. ground — a position
  6. spell — magic
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. ball — a dance
  9. ground — the earth
  10. bulb — for light
  11. root — of a word
  12. root — the cause
  13. bulb — for light
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. track — a song
  16. game — wild animals
  17. spell — letters
  18. ground — crushed
  19. track — a path
  20. root — of a plant
  21. ball — a great time
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. track — to keep track
  24. ball — a round shape

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