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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. net — after costs
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. craft — boats
  5. rash — a series
  6. root — the cause
  7. court — of law
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. court — of a king
  12. rash — hasty
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. net — in sport
  15. net — for catching
  16. root — of a plant
  17. court — for sport
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. cell — a phone
  20. plane — a tool
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. cell — in biology
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. craft — a skill

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