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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 · rock · tube · chair · stem · foot · mug · prune

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. mug — to rob
  4. mug — a cup
  5. rock — a stone
  6. rock — music
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. fork — in a road
  10. stem — to come from
  11. tube — a container
  12. chair — a leader
  13. mug — a face
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. prune — to trim
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. tube — the underground
  23. foot — a measure
  24. prune — to trim

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