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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: fork · pound · plane · root · perch · prune · foot · straw

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. root — of a plant
  3. fork — in a road
  4. root — the cause
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. foot — a measure
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. prune — to trim
  19. pound — a weight
  20. perch — the fish
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. plane — a tool
  24. root — of a word

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