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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. root — the cause
  4. fall — to drop
  5. club — a group
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. vault — a safe
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. fall — to drop
  10. mark — a trace
  11. root — of a word
  12. field — farmland
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. root — of a plant
  15. mark — a grade
  16. field — a subject
  17. club — for golf
  18. craft — boats
  19. field — for sport
  20. club — for dancing
  21. shower — to wash
  22. shower — rain
  23. fall — the season
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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