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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · last · season · stock · present · wave · drill · fork

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. fork — in a road
  4. drill — army training
  5. root — of a word
  6. present — a gift
  7. last — finally
  8. last — final
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. last — to go on
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. drill — a practice
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. stock — shares
  15. stock — goods
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. root — the cause
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. season — of the year
  21. season — in sport
  22. present — there
  23. present — the time now
  24. drill — the tool

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