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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 · leaves · firm · row · fork · ball · craft · degree

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. firm — a company
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. degree — from a university
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. fork — in a road
  10. root — the cause
  11. craft — boats
  12. row — a line
  13. root — of a word
  14. degree — temperature
  15. row — to paddle
  16. degree — an amount
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. ball — a great time
  20. ball — a dance
  21. firm — decided
  22. craft — a skill
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. root — of a plant

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