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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: key · wave · mine · date · root · mate · tube · fork

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. root — of a word
  4. root — of a plant
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. tube — a container
  8. mate — to breed
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mate — a partner
  11. mate — a friend
  12. tube — the underground
  13. date — the fruit
  14. fork — in a road
  15. key — in music
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. key — for a lock
  21. root — the cause
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. key — the most important part
  24. tube — in a tire

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