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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 116 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: calf · ball · present · chair · fork · kid · root · cap

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  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. present — the time now
  2. root — of a word
  3. present — a gift
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. cap — a hat
  6. fork — in a road
  7. root — of a plant
  8. cap — a lid
  9. cap — of ice
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. present — there
  12. ball — a dance
  13. ball — a great time
  14. chair — a leader
  15. kid — to tease
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. root — the cause
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. kid — child
  23. fork — to eat with
  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