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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: fork · root · mate · bat · bank · date · rock · hand

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  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. date — on the calendar
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. mate — to breed
  5. root — of a plant
  6. root — of a word
  7. mate — a friend
  8. rock — a stone
  9. date — the fruit
  10. hand — in cards
  11. bank — of a river
  12. root — the cause
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. hand — help
  16. bank — for money
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. mate — a partner
  19. bat — the animal
  20. bank — for money
  21. fork — in a road
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. fork — to eat with
  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