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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: rock · toast · current · racket · fork · nail · chair · root

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. current — of water
  9. current — electric
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. root — the cause
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. root — of a word
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. rock — music
  17. current — happening now
  18. rock — a stone
  19. fork — in a road
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. toast — bread
  22. root — of a plant
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. chair — a leader

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