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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: date · content · jam · last · bore · root · shower · sharp

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. bore — to drill
  4. shower — rain
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. content — the amount
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. root — of a plant
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. root — the cause
  14. shower — to wash
  15. last — final
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. bore — to tire
  18. content — happy
  19. last — finally
  20. last — to go on
  21. root — of a word
  22. sharp — clever
  23. date — the fruit
  24. bore — gave birth

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