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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 116 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: stand · root · fork · saw · bank · racket · perch · file

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. root — of a plant
  3. saw — the tool
  4. perch — the fish
  5. bank — for money
  6. file — a line of people
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. saw — the tool
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. fork — in a road
  11. root — the cause
  12. bank — for money
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. bank — of a river
  16. file — a document
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. stand — to bear
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. root — of a word
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. file — a 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