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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: object · fork · calf · root · date · club · straw · key

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. club — for golf
  5. object — to protest
  6. root — the cause
  7. club — for dancing
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. key — for a lock
  10. key — the most important part
  11. date — the fruit
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. object — a thing
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. fork — in a road
  16. object — an aim
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. key — in music
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. club — a group
  22. root — of a plant
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. straw — a straw man

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