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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 a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. craft — a skill
  4. pop — soda
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. pit — in a race
  7. craft — boats
  8. root — the cause
  9. pop — to visit
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. pit — a hole
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. chip — for betting
  14. pop — music
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. root — of a word
  17. wind — moving air
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. chip — to eat
  20. bat — the animal
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. wind — moving air
  24. bat — in an idiom

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