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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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. bowl — to roll
  4. craft — boats
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. track — a song
  7. fine — all right
  8. drill — a practice
  9. track — to keep track
  10. shower — rain
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. drill — the tool
  13. root — of a plant
  14. shower — to wash
  15. press — to push
  16. root — of a word
  17. drill — army training
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. fine — high quality
  20. track — a path
  21. press — a publisher
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. press — newspapers

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