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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. row — to paddle
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. root — the cause
  10. club — a group
  11. tear — from crying
  12. root — of a plant
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. row — a line
  15. club — for dancing
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. tear — from crying
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. club — for golf
  21. root — of a word
  22. tear — to rip
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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