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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: jam · content · trunk · rush · root · spring · mate · net

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. spring — the season
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. mate — a partner
  5. mate — a friend
  6. net — in sport
  7. root — the cause
  8. spring — of water
  9. rush — hurry
  10. root — of a plant
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. net — for catching
  14. net — after costs
  15. root — of a word
  16. mate — to breed
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. content — happy
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. spring — a coil
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. content — the amount

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