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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: fork · root · field · toast · shower · drill · dip · nail

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  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. root — of a word
  2. field — for sport
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. field — a subject
  5. drill — army training
  6. dip — to sink
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. shower — rain
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. toast — bread
  14. root — the cause
  15. field — farmland
  16. root — of a plant
  17. fork — in a road
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. drill — the tool
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. drill — a practice
  23. shower — to wash
  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