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

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. court — of law
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. craft — boats
  5. saw — the tool
  6. root — of a plant
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bank — of a river
  9. craft — a skill
  10. court — of a king
  11. root — the cause
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. bank — for money
  14. court — for sport
  15. root — of a word
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bank — for money

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