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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: jam · wound · fork · plane · root · chip · perch · land

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. plane — a tool
  3. fork — in a road
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. root — the cause
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. chip — to eat
  11. land — to come down
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — an injury
  15. land — a country
  16. root — of a plant
  17. land — ground
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. root — of a word
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. chip — for betting
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. perch — the fish

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