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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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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: coach · fork · jam · arm · present · stem · toast · root

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. root — of a word
  3. toast — bread
  4. fork — in a road
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. present — a gift
  12. root — of a plant
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. present — the time now
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. root — the cause
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. present — there
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. stem — to come from

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