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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stand · root · land · club · sharp · racket · fan · present

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. club — for golf
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. land — to come down
  7. club — for dancing
  8. stand — to bear
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. club — a group
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. root — the cause
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. sharp — clever
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. present — a gift
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. land — ground
  21. land — a country
  22. root — of a word
  23. present — there
  24. present — the time now

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