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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: last · foot · root · bay · court · fan · sharp · fork

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. root — the cause
  3. court — for sport
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. last — to go on
  7. last — finally
  8. court — of law
  9. last — final
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fork — in a road
  13. foot — a measure
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. sharp — clever
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. root — of a word
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. court — of a king
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. fan — a supporter

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