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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. craft — boats
  3. bound — tied together
  4. root — the cause
  5. game — wild animals
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. deal — to handle
  9. game — a match
  10. bound — obliged
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. tube — a container
  13. swing — in golf
  14. tube — the underground
  15. root — of a plant
  16. bound — certain
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. bass — low music
  19. swing — to play on
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. swing — music
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. root — of a word
  24. bass — the fish

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