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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 116 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 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. rock — music
  4. race — a contest
  5. ball — a dance
  6. root — of a plant
  7. ball — a great time
  8. root — the cause
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. fine — all right
  12. deal — to handle
  13. present — a gift
  14. present — the time now
  15. present — there
  16. craft — boats
  17. fine — high quality
  18. rock — a stone
  19. race — humankind
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. craft — a skill
  22. race — the arms race
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. deal — an agreement

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