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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 spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. bear — the animal
  4. scale — in music
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. root — of a word
  10. club — for golf
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. saw — the tool
  13. craft — boats
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. club — for dancing
  16. bear — the animal
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. club — a group
  20. root — of a plant
  21. root — the cause
  22. saw — the tool
  23. scale — size or range
  24. chair — a leader

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