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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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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: row · trunk · kid · club · deal · calf · fan · root

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  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. root — the cause
  2. kid — to tease
  3. club — a group
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. deal — to handle
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. root — of a word
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. row — to paddle
  12. club — for golf
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. root — of a plant
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. kid — child
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. row — a line
  23. club — for dancing
  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