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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. root — of a plant
  4. craft — boats
  5. craft — a skill
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. bound — certain
  8. root — of a word
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bound — tied together
  12. branch — a division
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. saw — the tool
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. saw — the tool
  20. fall — the season
  21. scale — size or range
  22. bound — obliged
  23. fall — to drop
  24. scale — in music

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