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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: mug · pass · club · jam · pitcher · root · trunk · cabinet

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. club — for golf
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. root — of a word
  11. pass — a permit
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. root — the cause
  16. mug — a cup
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. mug — to rob
  19. root — of a plant
  20. club — a group
  21. mug — a face
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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