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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: roll · row · saw · root · chair · fork · plane · firm

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. firm — a company
  3. roll — a list
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. roll — a cake
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. row — a line
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. root — of a word
  11. plane — a tool
  12. root — the cause
  13. firm — decided
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. chair — a leader
  21. fork — in a road
  22. saw — the tool
  23. root — of a plant
  24. row — to paddle

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