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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 120 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 is an ace ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. pop — music
  3. ball — a great time
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. root — the cause
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. pop — to visit
  11. craft — boats
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. rock — a stone
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. root — of a plant
  16. ball — a dance
  17. court — for sport
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. pop — soda
  20. rock — music
  21. craft — a skill
  22. court — of law
  23. court — of a king
  24. root — of a word

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