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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: court · bark · drill · cabinet · track · fork · rock · root

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. drill — army training
  3. root — of a word
  4. rock — music
  5. track — a song
  6. root — of a plant
  7. root — the cause
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. drill — the tool
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. court — for sport
  13. track — to keep track
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. bark — to shout
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. rock — a stone
  19. track — a path
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. court — of a king
  23. court — of law
  24. drill — a practice

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