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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. root — of a plant
  3. court — for sport
  4. present — the time now
  5. spring — of water
  6. root — of a word
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. pop — to visit
  9. mark — a grade
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. court — of law
  13. present — there
  14. pop — soda
  15. spring — the season
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. craft — a skill
  18. craft — boats
  19. plane — a tool
  20. mark — a trace
  21. court — of a king
  22. pop — music
  23. root — the cause
  24. present — a gift

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