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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: content · root · club · stand · toast · snap · vault · fan

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. club — for dancing
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. club — for golf
  7. stand — to bear
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. root — of a word
  11. club — a group
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. content — happy
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. vault — a safe
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. content — the amount
  19. toast — bread
  20. root — of a plant
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. snap — to click
  24. root — the cause

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