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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 · straw · suit · cell · tube · march · fan · foot

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. march — music
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. root — of a word
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. march — the month
  7. cell — in biology
  8. tube — the underground
  9. suit — in cards
  10. suit — clothes
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. cell — a phone
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. foot — a measure
  15. root — the cause
  16. root — of a plant
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. tube — a container
  19. march — the month
  20. suit — to fit
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. straw — dry grass

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