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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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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: date · rock · jam · mug · root · land · can · stick

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. land — to come down
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. can — to be able to
  5. root — of a word
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. rock — music
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. mug — to rob
  12. date — the fruit
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. mug — a face
  16. mug — a cup
  17. land — ground
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. root — the cause
  20. land — a country
  21. root — of a plant
  22. rock — a stone
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. can — a tin

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