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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: cabinet · root · press · fork · object · present

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. present — a gift
  3. root — of a word
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. object — to protest
  6. root — of a plant
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. root — the cause
  10. press — to push
  11. object — a thing
  12. present — there
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. fork — in a road
  15. present — the time now
  16. object — an aim
  17. press — newspapers
  18. press — a publisher

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