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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 · fork · cell · object · pop · tube · track · swing

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. object — an aim
  3. root — of a word
  4. track — a path
  5. tube — the underground
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. swing — in golf
  8. tube — a container
  9. track — to keep track
  10. object — to protest
  11. root — the cause
  12. swing — to play on
  13. object — a thing
  14. root — of a plant
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. cell — a phone
  17. swing — music
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. pop — music
  20. cell — in biology
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. pop — soda
  23. track — a song
  24. fork — in a road

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