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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: land · root · spring · safe · craft · bowl · cold · cue

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. root — of a word
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. spring — the season
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. root — of a plant
  8. cue — a signal
  9. land — a country
  10. spring — a coil
  11. land — to come down
  12. cue — for pool
  13. craft — boats
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. spring — of water
  17. root — the cause
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. cold — an illness
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. craft — a skill
  22. land — ground
  23. cue — a hint
  24. cold — not warm

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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