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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. spell — magic
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. spell — a short time
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. sharp — clever
  7. craft — a skill
  8. press — a publisher
  9. pop — to visit
  10. craft — boats
  11. fork — in a road
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. press — to push
  16. root — the cause
  17. root — of a plant
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. root — of a word
  20. press — newspapers
  21. spell — letters
  22. row — a line
  23. pop — soda
  24. row — to paddle

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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