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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.

Make a worksheet

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: dip · jam · firm · fan · tear · mine · root · squash

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. root — the cause
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. mine — for digging
  7. firm — a company
  8. root — of a word
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. tear — from crying
  11. firm — steady
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. firm — decided
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. root — of a plant
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. squash — to crush
  20. tear — from crying
  21. tear — to rip
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. dip — to sink
  24. fan — a supporter

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