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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: nail · cabinet · prune · root · fork · tube · bear · foot

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. root — of a word
  3. prune — to trim
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. bear — the animal
  7. tube — a container
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. fork — in a road
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bear — the animal
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. foot — a measure
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. root — of a plant
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. prune — to trim
  22. tube — the underground
  23. root — the cause
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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