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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. last — to go on
  4. bore — to tire
  5. root — of a plant
  6. ground — a position
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. craft — boats
  9. squash — to crush
  10. ground — crushed
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. root — the cause
  13. track — a path
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. squash — the sport
  17. last — finally
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. track — to keep track
  20. last — final
  21. ground — the earth
  22. bore — to drill
  23. craft — a skill
  24. root — of a word

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