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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.

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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: pit · dip · root · fork · sharp · pitcher · current · trunk

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. pit — a hole
  5. fork — in a road
  6. dip — to sink
  7. root — of a plant
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. current — electric
  10. current — of water
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. root — of a word
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. current — happening now
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. sharp — clever
  21. root — the cause
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. pit — in a race

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