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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: wake · craft · roll · root · calf · tube · pop · jam

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. tube — a container
  3. pop — soda
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. craft — a skill
  6. pop — music
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. tube — the underground
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. roll — a cake
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. wake — a trail
  19. root — the cause
  20. pop — to visit
  21. roll — a list
  22. craft — boats
  23. root — of a plant
  24. root — of a word

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