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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. fork — in a road
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. march — the month
  5. saw — the tool
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. root — of a plant
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. root — the cause
  13. firm — steady
  14. root — of a word
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mate — to breed
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. game — wild animals
  19. firm — a company
  20. mate — a friend
  21. saw — the tool
  22. firm — decided
  23. march — the month
  24. march — music

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