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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 · bat · game · bowl · nail · dip · wind · root

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. root — of a word
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. root — of a plant
  5. game — wild animals
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. dip — to sink
  8. bat — the animal
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. craft — boats
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. root — the cause
  13. craft — a skill
  14. wind — moving air
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. wind — moving air
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. bowl — a dish

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