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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. root — of a plant
  3. craft — boats
  4. race — a contest
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. craft — a skill
  8. bass — the fish
  9. fine — high quality
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. root — the cause
  12. bark — to shout
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. bass — low music
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. root — of a word
  18. squash — to crush
  19. fine — all right
  20. race — humankind
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. race — the arms race
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. fine — a penalty

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