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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: root · field · dip · jam · land · kid · fan · pit

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. pit — in a race
  4. root — of a word
  5. root — the cause
  6. kid — child
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. root — of a plant
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. land — a country
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. land — to come down
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. land — ground
  17. field — for sport
  18. pit — a hole
  19. dip — to sink
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. field — farmland
  23. kid — to tease
  24. fan — a supporter

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