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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · bore · fan · root · snap · spring · ball · fork

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. ball — a great time
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. bore — to drill
  9. root — of a word
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. bore — to tire
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. spring — of water
  16. fork — in a road
  17. spring — a coil
  18. root — the cause
  19. spring — the season
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. snap — to click
  22. ball — a dance
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. root — of a plant

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