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

Word bank: leaves · snap · root · jam · cap · pit

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. snap — to click
  7. root — of a plant
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. root — of a word
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. cap — a lid
  15. cap — a hat
  16. pit — in a race
  17. cap — of ice
  18. root — the cause

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