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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 120 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 · calf · pass · ground · cabinet · scale · kick · root

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. root — of a plant
  3. root — of a word
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. pass — a permit
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. scale — in music
  10. root — the cause
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. kick — in football
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. scale — size or range
  16. fork — in a road
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. ground — crushed
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. ground — the earth
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. ground — a position

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