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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: pop · fork · root · cell · ground · suit · mouse · wound

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. suit — in cards
  5. pop — to visit
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. ground — crushed
  9. cell — a phone
  10. root — of a word
  11. suit — clothes
  12. root — the cause
  13. suit — to fit
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. cell — in biology
  16. wound — an injury
  17. pop — soda
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. root — of a plant
  20. ground — the earth
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. ground — a position
  23. pop — music
  24. wound — an injury

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