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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. root — of a plant
  4. track — a song
  5. root — of a word
  6. root — the cause
  7. rest — what's left
  8. drill — army training
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. craft — a skill
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. craft — boats
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. rest — a break
  17. drill — a practice
  18. track — a path
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. rest — what's left
  22. drill — the tool
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. temple — a place of worship

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