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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.

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: last · season · object · fan · root · board · fork · prune

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. board — to get on
  3. last — finally
  4. prune — to trim
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. last — to go on
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. fork — in a road
  9. root — of a plant
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. season — in sport
  12. prune — to trim
  13. object — an aim
  14. root — the cause
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. object — to protest
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. season — of the year
  19. object — a thing
  20. last — final
  21. root — of a word
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. fan — to cool the air

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