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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. root — of a plant
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. suit — to fit
  10. club — a group
  11. suit — clothes
  12. club — for golf
  13. root — of a word
  14. pit — in a race
  15. sharp — clever
  16. club — for dancing
  17. track — to keep track
  18. track — a song
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. track — a path
  21. suit — in cards
  22. root — the cause
  23. pit — a hole
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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