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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. root — the cause
  4. spring — the season
  5. tube — the underground
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. scale — size or range
  8. rule — a law
  9. bat — the animal
  10. plane — a tool
  11. rule — government
  12. root — of a word
  13. spring — of water
  14. root — of a plant
  15. tube — a container
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. craft — a skill
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. craft — boats
  24. scale — in music

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