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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. root — the cause
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. root — of a word
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. degree — from a university
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. degree — temperature
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. degree — an amount
  13. land — to come down
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. craft — boats
  16. craft — a skill
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. land — a country
  19. root — of a plant
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. land — ground

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