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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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Word bank
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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: root · bay · rock · suit · mine · fork · key · clip

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. fork — in a road
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. key — in music
  6. key — the most important part
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. key — for a lock
  9. root — of a plant
  10. suit — to fit
  11. rock — music
  12. rock — a stone
  13. root — the cause
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. clip — for paper
  18. root — of a word
  19. suit — in cards
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. suit — clothes
  22. clip — a video
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. clip — to cut

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