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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bound — obliged
  4. pop — to visit
  5. prune — to trim
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. craft — a skill
  8. bound — tied together
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. bound — certain
  11. prune — to trim
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. root — of a plant
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. present — a gift
  17. pop — soda
  18. present — the time now
  19. present — there
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. root — the cause
  23. root — of a word
  24. pop — music

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