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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: land · cabinet · trunk · pop · fan · root · roll · bay

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. pop — soda
  5. land — ground
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. roll — a list
  13. pop — to visit
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. root — the cause
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. pop — music
  18. land — a country
  19. land — to come down
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. root — of a plant
  22. root — of a word
  23. roll — a cake
  24. fan — to cool the air

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