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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. game — a match
  4. root — of a plant
  5. root — of a word
  6. rush — hurry
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. ball — a dance
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. game — wild animals
  13. craft — boats
  14. rule — a law
  15. shower — to wash
  16. rule — government
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. root — the cause
  20. fork — in a road
  21. shower — rain
  22. craft — a skill
  23. ball — a great time
  24. rush — to hurry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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