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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: mate · root · dip · pitcher · shower · row · fork · object

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. root — the cause
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. mate — to breed
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. shower — rain
  9. mate — a friend
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. row — to paddle
  12. mate — a partner
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. row — a line
  15. shower — to wash
  16. root — of a plant
  17. dip — to sink
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. object — to protest
  20. root — of a word
  21. fork — in a road
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. object — a thing
  24. object — an aim

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