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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. spring — of water
  3. scale — in music
  4. scale — size or range
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. root — of a word
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. root — of a plant
  11. spring — a coil
  12. craft — boats
  13. rock — a stone
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. root — the cause
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. spring — the season
  19. rock — music
  20. wound — an injury
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. craft — a skill
  23. wound — an injury
  24. rush — hurry

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