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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. drill — the tool
  3. root — of a plant
  4. court — for sport
  5. craft — a skill
  6. file — a document
  7. court — of a king
  8. root — of a word
  9. drill — a practice
  10. bound — tied together
  11. file — a tool
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bound — certain
  16. file — a line of people
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. root — the cause
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. craft — boats
  23. court — of law
  24. drill — army training

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