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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. deal — to handle
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. ground — a position
  5. craft — boats
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. hand — in cards
  10. root — of a word
  11. root — of a plant
  12. craft — a skill
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. ground — crushed
  15. ground — the earth
  16. band — a ring
  17. band — a music group
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. hand — help
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. cell — a phone
  24. root — the cause

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