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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 · bulb · rest · jam · track · spring · chip · fine

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. rest — a break
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. bulb — for light
  5. chip — for betting
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. root — of a plant
  8. fine — high quality
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bulb — for light
  11. spring — of water
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. root — the cause
  15. spring — a coil
  16. track — a path
  17. track — a song
  18. chip — to eat
  19. spring — the season
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. track — to keep track
  22. fine — all right
  23. rest — what's left
  24. root — of a word

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