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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 116 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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. root — the cause
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. craft — boats
  7. pop — soda
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. fine — all right
  10. root — of a word
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. pop — to visit
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. fine — high quality
  16. root — of a plant
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. rock — a stone
  21. craft — a skill
  22. pop — music
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. vault — a safe

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