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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 · trunk · bore · craft · jam · root · fine · season

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. season — in sport
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. craft — boats
  8. fine — high quality
  9. craft — a skill
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. season — of the year
  12. root — of a plant
  13. root — the cause
  14. root — of a word
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. bore — to tire
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. bore — to drill
  20. fine — all right
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. date — the fruit
  24. jam — a tight spot

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