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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: fork · scale · mark · lean · season · root · pop · tube

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  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. mark — a grade
  2. tube — the underground
  3. pop — music
  4. root — the cause
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. season — of the year
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. lean — thin
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. lean — to bend
  12. season — in sport
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. mark — a trace
  15. root — of a plant
  16. root — of a word
  17. pop — to visit
  18. scale — size or range
  19. pop — soda
  20. scale — in music
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. tube — a container
  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