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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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Word bank
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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. root — of a word
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. saw — the tool
  5. fine — all right
  6. fine — high quality
  7. spring — a coil
  8. spring — of water
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. pit — a hole
  11. craft — a skill
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. spring — the season
  15. root — the cause
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. root — of a plant
  18. pit — in a race
  19. saw — the tool
  20. tube — a container
  21. craft — boats
  22. tube — the underground
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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