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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: perch · leaves · toast · root · fork · foot · court · date

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. root — of a plant
  3. fork — in a road
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. date — the fruit
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. foot — a measure
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. root — of a word
  12. root — the cause
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. toast — bread
  18. court — of law
  19. court — for sport
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. court — of a king
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. perch — for a bird

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