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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: calf · field · fork · hand · mark · chair · wax · root

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. hand — help
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. root — of a plant
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. mark — a trace
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. field — farmland
  10. field — a subject
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. hand — in cards
  13. field — for sport
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. root — the cause
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. fork — in a road
  21. wax — to grow
  22. mark — a grade
  23. chair — a leader
  24. wax — in the ear

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