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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. root — of a plant
  4. land — to come down
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. bank — of a river
  7. shower — to wash
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. toast — bread
  13. land — ground
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. content — happy
  16. bank — for money
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bank — for money
  20. root — of a word
  21. content — the amount
  22. root — the cause
  23. land — a country
  24. shower — rain

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