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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 120 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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. cell — in biology
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. cell — a phone
  8. craft — a skill
  9. court — of law
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wake — a trail
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. court — for sport
  15. court — of a king
  16. root — of a word
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. craft — boats
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. root — of a plant
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. sharp — clever
  24. pitcher — a jug

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