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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: march · tube · fan · root · pitcher · craft · deal · jam

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. root — the cause
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. march — music
  5. craft — a skill
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. craft — boats
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. tube — the underground
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. march — the month
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. deal — to handle
  17. root — of a plant
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. march — the month
  20. tube — a container
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. root — of a word
  24. jam — in traffic

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