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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: key · kid · root · branch · fan · pit · season · fork

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. root — the cause
  4. pit — in a race
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. fork — in a road
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. key — for a lock
  9. key — the most important part
  10. season — of the year
  11. kid — child
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. pit — a hole
  15. root — of a plant
  16. root — of a word
  17. branch — a division
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. kid — to tease
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. season — in sport
  24. fan — to cool the air

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