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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 120 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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. craft — a skill
  3. root — of a word
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. branch — a division
  7. chair — a leader
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. sharp — clever
  10. root — of a plant
  11. ground — the earth
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. bear — the animal
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. craft — boats
  17. root — the cause
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. bear — the animal
  20. ground — a position
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. squash — to crush
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. squash — the sport

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