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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. root — the cause
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. chair — a leader
  7. prune — to trim
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. craft — a skill
  10. rule — a law
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. rule — government
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. root — of a plant
  15. season — of the year
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. root — of a word
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. season — in sport

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