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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: staff · bore · root · bass · file · fork · stem · capital

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. root — of a plant
  5. bass — the fish
  6. fork — in a road
  7. bass — low music
  8. capital — money
  9. root — of a word
  10. capital — a city
  11. file — a document
  12. root — the cause
  13. file — a tool
  14. stem — to come from
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. bore — to drill
  19. staff — employees
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. staff — a stick
  22. bore — to tire
  23. file — a line of people
  24. fork — a garden tool

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