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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: board · date · root · fork · spell · mug · roll · trunk

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. root — the cause
  3. mug — a face
  4. date — the fruit
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. fork — in a road
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. spell — letters
  10. roll — a cake
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. spell — magic
  13. root — of a word
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. roll — a list
  19. mug — a cup
  20. spell — a short time
  21. board — a committee
  22. mug — to rob
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. root — of a plant

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