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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: mouse · pit · root · last · craft · present · key · straw

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. craft — boats
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. pit — a hole
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. root — the cause
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. present — there
  11. present — a gift
  12. pit — in a race
  13. present — the time now
  14. key — in music
  15. last — finally
  16. last — to go on
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. last — final
  19. key — the most important part
  20. root — of a plant
  21. root — of a word
  22. key — for a lock
  23. craft — a skill
  24. mouse — for a computer

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