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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: jam · craft · tear · pitcher · lie · tube · root · mark

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. mark — a grade
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. craft — a skill
  5. tube — the underground
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. tear — to rip
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. craft — boats
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mark — a trace
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. lie — to recline
  16. root — of a word
  17. tube — a container
  18. tear — from crying
  19. tear — from crying
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. root — of a plant
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. root — the cause
  24. lie — an untruth

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