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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: bear · firm · sharp · root · present · fork · bay · cold

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. root — the cause
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. bear — the animal
  8. firm — steady
  9. present — a gift
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. present — there
  12. sharp — clever
  13. bear — the animal
  14. cold — not warm
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. firm — a company
  18. root — of a plant
  19. fork — in a road
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. firm — decided
  23. root — of a word
  24. present — the time now

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