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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. craft — a skill
  3. craft — boats
  4. bound — certain
  5. pop — soda
  6. pop — music
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bore — to drill
  10. dip — to sink
  11. root — of a word
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. race — humankind
  15. bound — tied together
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. pop — to visit
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bore — to tire
  20. root — of a plant
  21. race — a contest
  22. bound — obliged
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. race — the arms race

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