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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: bear · saw · pit · rest · root · fork · pass · staff

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  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. rest — what's left
  2. rest — a break
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. staff — a stick
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. staff — employees
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. root — of a plant
  9. pit — in a race
  10. saw — the tool
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. bear — the animal
  13. pit — a hole
  14. saw — the tool
  15. root — the cause
  16. rest — what's left
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. staff — employees
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. bear — the animal
  21. root — of a word
  22. pass — a permit
  23. pass — to spend time
  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