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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. craft — a skill
  3. saw — the tool
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. saw — the tool
  7. last — final
  8. craft — boats
  9. net — for catching
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. net — after costs
  12. root — of a word
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. last — to go on
  17. net — in sport
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. last — finally
  20. date — the fruit
  21. perch — the fish
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. root — of a plant
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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