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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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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: safe · root · drill · object · fork · club · land · toast

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. land — to come down
  3. object — a thing
  4. fork — in a road
  5. object — an aim
  6. drill — army training
  7. land — ground
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. club — for golf
  11. club — for dancing
  12. drill — the tool
  13. club — a group
  14. toast — bread
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. land — a country
  18. root — of a plant
  19. root — the cause
  20. drill — a practice
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. object — to protest
  24. fork — a garden 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