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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: bulb · root · fall · fork · spell · saw · court · deal

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. root — the cause
  5. bulb — for light
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. root — of a plant
  8. fall — the season
  9. spell — a short time
  10. court — of a king
  11. court — of law
  12. root — of a word
  13. fork — in a road
  14. spell — letters
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. bulb — for light
  17. saw — the tool
  18. spell — magic
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — to drop
  22. saw — the tool
  23. deal — to handle
  24. court — for sport

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