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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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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 · cell · nail · pound · mark · perch · root · safe

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. cell — a phone
  4. pound — a weight
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. perch — the fish
  9. root — of a plant
  10. fork — in a road
  11. root — of a word
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. mark — a grade
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. mark — a trace
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. root — the cause
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. pound — to hit hard

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