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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: rash · land · fork · suit · jam · mine · net · root

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. land — to come down
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. root — the cause
  5. suit — in cards
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. root — of a plant
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. net — in sport
  10. mine — for digging
  11. suit — to fit
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. land — ground
  15. suit — clothes
  16. rash — hasty
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. rash — a series
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. fork — in a road
  21. net — for catching
  22. root — of a word
  23. land — a country
  24. net — after costs

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