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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.

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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: chair · date · fork · rest · pit · root · march · kick

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. pit — a hole
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. date — the fruit
  9. root — of a plant
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. march — the month
  12. rest — what's left
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. chair — a leader
  15. march — the month
  16. root — of a word
  17. rest — what's left
  18. march — music
  19. pit — in a race
  20. rest — a break
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. kick — in football
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. fork — in a road

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