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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 120 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: scale · present · saw · file · fork · root · land · cap

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. saw — the tool
  3. cap — a lid
  4. present — there
  5. saw — the tool
  6. file — a tool
  7. file — a line of people
  8. present — a gift
  9. file — a document
  10. cap — a hat
  11. present — the time now
  12. land — to come down
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. cap — of ice
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. land — a country
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. scale — size or range
  20. root — of a word
  21. land — ground
  22. fork — in a road
  23. scale — in music
  24. root — the cause

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