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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: root · craft · bay · squash · tear · date · fan · jam

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. squash — the sport
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. craft — a skill
  5. squash — to crush
  6. root — the cause
  7. craft — boats
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. root — of a word
  11. tear — from crying
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. tear — to rip
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. tear — from crying
  20. root — of a plant
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. date — the fruit

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