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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. craft — a skill
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. firm — decided
  5. root — of a plant
  6. branch — a division
  7. firm — a company
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. firm — steady
  12. root — the cause
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. root — of a word
  16. bat — the animal
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. craft — boats

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