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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: deal · fork · wind · march · stand · root · fine · hide

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. root — of a plant
  4. wind — moving air
  5. stand — to bear
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. march — the month
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. march — music
  14. fine — all right
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. fork — in a road
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. fine — high quality
  19. wind — moving air
  20. root — the cause
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. root — of a word
  24. deal — to handle

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