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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  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. kid — child
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. rest — what's left
  9. root — the cause
  10. craft — a skill
  11. shower — rain
  12. rest — what's left
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. shower — to wash
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. toast — bread
  17. rest — a break
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. kid — to tease
  21. root — of a plant
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. craft — boats
  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