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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: stick · root · scale · row · fine · trunk · craft · racket

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. fine — all right
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. scale — in music
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. fine — high quality
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. root — of a plant
  11. craft — boats
  12. scale — size or range
  13. row — a line
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. row — to paddle
  17. craft — a skill
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. root — the cause
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. root — of a word
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. fine — a penalty

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