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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 120 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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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: dip · band · fall · pit · fork · root · perch · cabinet

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. root — of a plant
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. fork — in a road
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. pit — a hole
  10. fall — the season
  11. root — of a word
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. pit — in a race
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. fall — to drop
  16. band — a ring
  17. band — a music group
  18. perch — the fish
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. dip — to sink
  23. root — the cause
  24. fall — to drop

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