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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. bank — for money
  4. craft — a skill
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. root — of a word
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. cap — a hat
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. bank — of a river
  11. spring — a coil
  12. cap — of ice
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. deal — to handle
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. root — of a plant
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. root — the cause
  19. cap — a lid
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. spring — the season
  22. spring — of water
  23. craft — boats
  24. bank — for money

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