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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. root — the cause
  3. can — a tin
  4. march — music
  5. bear — the animal
  6. root — of a plant
  7. can — a tin
  8. craft — boats
  9. march — the month
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. can — to be able to
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. root — of a word
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. march — the month
  18. jam — to spread on bread

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