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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 116 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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. prune — to trim
  4. track — to keep track
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. prune — to trim
  7. staff — employees
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. track — a song
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. scale — in music
  12. root — the cause
  13. craft — boats
  14. root — of a plant
  15. staff — employees
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. scale — size or range
  18. drill — a practice
  19. track — a path
  20. drill — the tool
  21. root — of a word
  22. drill — army training
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. staff — a stick

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