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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · foot · staff · pitcher · vault · field · root · march

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. root — the cause
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. field — a subject
  5. root — of a word
  6. field — for sport
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. march — the month
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. fork — in a road
  14. staff — employees
  15. foot — a measure
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. staff — employees
  18. staff — a stick
  19. vault — a safe
  20. march — music
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. march — the month
  23. root — of a plant
  24. field — farmland

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