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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: jam · chest · mark · present · land · lash · ball · root

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. root — of a word
  3. chest — a box
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. root — of a plant
  7. chest — of your body
  8. present — there
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. root — the cause
  11. present — the time now
  12. ball — a dance
  13. land — ground
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. chest — of your body
  16. land — to come down
  17. mark — a grade
  18. ball — a great time
  19. present — a gift
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. land — a country
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. jam — in traffic
  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