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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: fork · last · bore · mine · row · dip · root · bear

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  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. mine — for digging
  2. fork — in a road
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. row — a line
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bore — to tire
  7. root — the cause
  8. last — finally
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. root — of a word
  12. dip — to sink
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. bear — the animal
  15. last — to go on
  16. root — of a plant
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bore — to drill
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. last — final
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. bear — the animal
  23. fork — to eat with
  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