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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: ruler · rock · prune · chip · court · root · fork · pop

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. court — of a king
  3. root — of a plant
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. chip — for betting
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. rock — a stone
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. pop — music
  10. chip — to eat
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. prune — to trim
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. court — of law
  15. fork — in a road
  16. prune — to trim
  17. pop — soda
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. pop — to visit
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. root — the cause
  22. court — for sport
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. rock — music

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