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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
468
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: fan · stem · jam · club · bore · squash · row · foot

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bore — to drill
  3. row — to paddle
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. stem — to come from
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. club — for golf
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. club — a group
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. foot — a measure
  14. club — for dancing
  15. row — a line
  16. bore — to tire
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. squash — the sport
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. squash — to crush
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. stem — a stem cell

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