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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. craft — a skill
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. march — the month
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. scale — size or range
  8. march — music
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. root — of a plant
  12. march — the month
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. roll — a list
  17. roll — a cake
  18. root — the cause
  19. craft — boats
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. pitch — completely
  22. root — of a word
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. scale — in music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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