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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 120 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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  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. root — of a plant
  2. craft — a skill
  3. row — to paddle
  4. fall — to drop
  5. mark — a trace
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. mark — a grade
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. fall — the season
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. craft — boats
  12. fine — all right
  13. root — of a word
  14. root — the cause
  15. prune — to trim
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. row — a line
  18. fall — to drop
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. prune — to trim
  23. fine — high quality
  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