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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: toast · bowl · last · fork · root · pitcher · stand · key

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. last — to go on
  3. key — in music
  4. key — the most important part
  5. root — the cause
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. root — of a plant
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. last — finally
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. key — for a lock
  13. stand — to bear
  14. last — final
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. fork — in a road
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. root — of a word
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. toast — bread

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