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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 took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. ball — a dance
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. last — to go on
  6. root — of a word
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. ball — a great time
  10. last — final
  11. root — the cause
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. root — of a plant
  14. net — after costs
  15. craft — a skill
  16. last — finally
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. craft — boats
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. net — in sport
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. stem — to come from
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. stem — of a plant

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