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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 refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. root — of a word
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. fall — the season
  5. craft — a skill
  6. last — finally
  7. mark — a grade
  8. craft — boats
  9. last — to go on
  10. fall — to drop
  11. court — of a king
  12. fall — to drop
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. root — the cause
  15. court — of law
  16. court — for sport
  17. last — final
  18. mug — a face
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. root — of a plant
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. mark — a trace
  24. mug — to rob

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