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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. spring — a coil
  3. board — to get on
  4. root — the cause
  5. pop — to visit
  6. game — a match
  7. hand — help
  8. pass — a permit
  9. pop — soda
  10. pop — music
  11. board — a committee
  12. game — wild animals
  13. spring — of water
  14. root — of a plant
  15. craft — boats
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. hand — in cards
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. craft — a skill
  20. spring — the season
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. root — of a word

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