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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. root — of a word
  3. craft — boats
  4. spring — the season
  5. root — the cause
  6. spring — of water
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. content — the amount
  9. content — happy
  10. squash — the sport
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. squash — to crush
  13. fine — high quality
  14. fine — all right
  15. branch — a division
  16. root — of a plant
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. spring — a coil
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. board — to get on
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. board — a committee
  24. squash — the vegetable

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