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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: rest · fork · game · nail · toast · cabinet · degree · root

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. fork — in a road
  4. root — of a word
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. degree — an amount
  8. degree — temperature
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. rest — a break
  11. root — the cause
  12. toast — bread
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. game — a match
  16. rest — what's left
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. rest — what's left
  20. root — of a plant
  21. degree — from a university
  22. game — wild animals
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. cabinet — ministers

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