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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 · key · coach · racket · mouse · lean · root

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. key — in music
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. root — of a word
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. lean — thin
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. key — the most important part
  14. rock — music
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. key — for a lock
  18. rock — a stone
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. root — of a plant
  21. root — the cause
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. fork — in a road

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