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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: stick · cabinet · hand · racket · spell · fork · key · root

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. key — the most important part
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. key — in music
  6. spell — letters
  7. fork — in a road
  8. root — the cause
  9. root — of a word
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. key — for a lock
  13. hand — in cards
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. spell — magic
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. spell — a short time
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. root — of a plant
  22. hand — help
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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