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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 took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. root — the cause
  4. shower — to wash
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. pit — a hole
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. craft — boats
  9. pit — in a race
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. scale — size or range
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. root — of a word
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. track — a path
  18. root — of a plant
  19. wake — a trail
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. track — to keep track
  22. craft — a skill
  23. track — a song
  24. scale — in 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