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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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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: bulb · stem · arm · fork · root · rest · deal · perch

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  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. fork — to eat with
  2. deal — to handle
  3. stem — to come from
  4. rest — what's left
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bulb — for light
  11. rest — a break
  12. root — of a word
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. root — of a plant
  15. root — the cause
  16. fork — in a road
  17. rest — what's left
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. bulb — for light
  21. perch — the fish
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. deal — a big deal
  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