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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. rest — what's left
  4. mark — a grade
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. root — of a plant
  7. band — a music group
  8. net — after costs
  9. net — in sport
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. craft — a skill
  12. root — of a word
  13. band — a ring
  14. craft — boats
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. rest — a break
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. rest — what's left
  19. net — for catching
  20. date — the fruit
  21. root — the cause
  22. bass — low music
  23. bass — the fish
  24. date — on the calendar

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