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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 · stick · bark · object · stem · net · fan · root

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. stem — to come from
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. object — to protest
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. net — in sport
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. object — a thing
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. object — an aim
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. net — for catching
  15. fork — in a road
  16. root — of a plant
  17. root — of a word
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bark — to shout
  23. net — after costs
  24. bark — of a tree

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