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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. craft — a skill
  3. root — of a plant
  4. tube — the underground
  5. rash — a series
  6. root — the cause
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. band — a music group
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. fine — all right
  13. fine — high quality
  14. root — of a word
  15. track — a path
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. band — a ring
  19. craft — boats
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. rash — hasty
  22. track — a song
  23. tube — a container
  24. track — to keep track

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