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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: bowl · chip · root · wax · shower · arm · fork · field

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. shower — rain
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. fork — in a road
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. chip — to eat
  12. field — farmland
  13. root — of a word
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. shower — to wash
  16. root — of a plant
  17. chip — for betting
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. field — for sport
  21. wax — to grow
  22. field — a subject
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. chip — in a computer

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