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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
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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 · ball · fork · wax · safe · roll · tube · jam

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. roll — a cake
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. tube — the underground
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. tube — a container
  11. roll — a list
  12. wax — to grow
  13. ball — a great time
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. fork — in a road
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. root — of a plant
  19. root — the cause
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. ball — a dance
  22. root — of a word
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. fork — to eat with

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