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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: fork · rash · content · root · pop · leaves · ruler · field

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. pop — soda
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. content — happy
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. content — the amount
  7. root — of a plant
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. rash — a series
  11. field — a subject
  12. root — of a word
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. root — the cause
  16. pop — to visit
  17. pop — music
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. rash — hasty
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. field — farmland
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. field — for sport

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