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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: chest · dip · fork · mouse · root · row · ball · spell

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. fork — in a road
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. root — the cause
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. root — of a plant
  8. dip — to sink
  9. row — a line
  10. ball — a great time
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. chest — of your body
  14. chest — of your body
  15. row — to paddle
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. spell — magic
  18. chest — a box
  19. ball — a dance
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. spell — letters
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. root — of a word

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