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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  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. root — of a word
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. march — music
  4. craft — boats
  5. ground — crushed
  6. staff — employees
  7. craft — a skill
  8. root — the cause
  9. march — the month
  10. staff — a stick
  11. root — of a plant
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. ground — the earth
  15. staff — employees
  16. march — the month
  17. stem — to come from
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wind — moving air
  20. vault — a safe
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. ground — a position
  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