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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: leaves · root · court · fork · spell · file · coach · stick

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. root — of a word
  4. fork — in a road
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. spell — letters
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. file — a line of people
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. spell — magic
  13. court — of a king
  14. root — the cause
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. root — of a plant
  18. court — of law
  19. file — a document
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. file — a tool
  23. spell — a short time
  24. coach — a trainer

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