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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: row · nail · calf · spring · root · bulb · club · jam

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. club — for dancing
  3. spring — the season
  4. club — for golf
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. root — of a plant
  10. row — a line
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. root — the cause
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. bulb — for light
  16. root — of a word
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. club — a group
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. bulb — for light
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. spring — of water
  24. spring — a coil

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