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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 116 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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. craft — a skill
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. root — of a word
  6. band — a ring
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. band — a music group
  9. root — the cause
  10. mine — for digging
  11. lean — thin
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. lean — to bend
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. game — a match
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. craft — boats
  19. ball — a dance
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. ball — a great time
  22. game — wild animals
  23. root — of a plant
  24. game — a kind of play

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