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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. prune — to trim
  4. land — a country
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. track — a path
  7. land — to come down
  8. spring — the season
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. track — to keep track
  11. key — for a lock
  12. key — in music
  13. spring — a coil
  14. land — ground
  15. charge — in control
  16. stem — to come from
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. charge — electricity
  19. prune — to trim
  20. spring — of water
  21. key — the most important part
  22. track — a song
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. charge — a price

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