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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 · jam · bear · firm · mouse · root · tube · shower

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. tube — the underground
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. firm — steady
  5. tube — a container
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. firm — a company
  8. date — the fruit
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. firm — decided
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. root — of a plant
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. root — of a word
  17. shower — rain
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. shower — to wash
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — the animal
  24. root — the cause

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