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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: mark · bat · fork · root · bear · patient · foot · wake

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  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. foot — the bottom
  2. bear — the animal
  3. root — the cause
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. mark — a trace
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. bear — the animal
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. foot — a measure
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. fork — in a road
  16. root — of a plant
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. mark — a grade
  20. bat — the animal
  21. root — of a word
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. wake — a trail
  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