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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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Word bank
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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: craft · bear · root · staff · pass · rule

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. staff — employees
  4. craft — boats
  5. rule — a law
  6. staff — a stick
  7. craft — a skill
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. staff — employees
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. root — the cause
  12. rule — government
  13. root — of a plant
  14. root — of a word
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. pass — a permit
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — the animal

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