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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
468
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: mouse · object · fork · wound · ball · root · hand · capital

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. object — an aim
  3. root — the cause
  4. hand — help
  5. ball — a great time
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. root — of a word
  13. capital — money
  14. object — a thing
  15. wound — an injury
  16. root — of a plant
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. ball — a dance
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. hand — in cards
  22. object — to protest
  23. capital — a city
  24. wound — an injury

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