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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: root · kid · suit · craft · drill · cell

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. drill — army training
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. drill — a practice
  5. drill — the tool
  6. suit — in cards
  7. root — the cause
  8. cell — in biology
  9. craft — boats
  10. kid — to tease
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. cell — a phone
  13. kid — child
  14. suit — clothes
  15. craft — a skill
  16. root — of a plant
  17. root — of a word
  18. suit — to fit

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