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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: fork · press · prune · board · shower · charge · root · stem

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. root — the cause
  3. fork — in a road
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. press — to push
  6. shower — to wash
  7. root — of a plant
  8. stem — to come from
  9. charge — in control
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. prune — to trim
  14. board — to get on
  15. charge — a price
  16. prune — to trim
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. shower — rain
  19. board — a committee
  20. charge — electricity
  21. root — of a word
  22. press — a publisher
  23. press — newspapers
  24. fork — to eat with

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