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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 · last · sharp · jam · pop · fan · club · drill

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. pop — music
  4. drill — army training
  5. last — finally
  6. root — of a word
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. sharp — clever
  9. club — for golf
  10. drill — a practice
  11. club — for dancing
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. root — of a plant
  14. pop — soda
  15. last — to go on
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. last — final
  18. drill — the tool
  19. pop — to visit
  20. club — a group
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. root — the cause
  23. fan — a supporter
  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