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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. root — of a word
  4. root — the cause
  5. bank — of a river
  6. scale — in music
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. stock — goods
  9. stock — shares
  10. bank — for money
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. bank — for money
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. game — a match
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. game — wild animals
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. fork — in a road
  22. toast — bread
  23. root — of a plant
  24. scale — size or range

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