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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: court · spring · cabinet · bore · toast · chair · root · fork

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. root — of a plant
  3. root — the cause
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. spring — a coil
  6. bore — to drill
  7. court — for sport
  8. bore — to tire
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. court — of law
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. spring — of water
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. spring — the season
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. chair — a leader
  18. toast — bread
  19. fork — in a road
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. court — of a king
  24. chair — a professorship

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