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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: date · temple · fork · row · jam · mark · march · root

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. root — of a plant
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. row — to paddle
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. root — the cause
  8. date — the fruit
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. march — the month
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mark — a trace
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. row — a line
  17. march — music
  18. root — of a word
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. mark — a grade
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. fork — in a road
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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