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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: chair · pop · rush · cell · cabinet · root · bore · fork

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. bore — to tire
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. pop — soda
  8. cell — a phone
  9. chair — a leader
  10. fork — in a road
  11. root — of a word
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. root — the cause
  14. pop — to visit
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. cell — in biology
  21. bore — to drill
  22. root — of a plant
  23. rush — hurry
  24. chair — to sit on

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