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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 · can · fork · mark · season · drill · object · date

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. drill — a practice
  3. season — in sport
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. drill — the tool
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. root — the cause
  9. object — a thing
  10. root — of a word
  11. can — to be able to
  12. mark — a trace
  13. date — the fruit
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. fork — in a road
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. object — an aim
  18. drill — army training
  19. can — a tin
  20. object — to protest
  21. root — of a plant
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. season — of the year
  24. mark — a grade

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