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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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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: dip · root · pit · snap · craft · game · saw · racket

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. pit — a hole
  6. saw — the tool
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. craft — a skill
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. root — the cause
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. game — a match
  16. snap — to click
  17. saw — the tool
  18. pit — in a race
  19. root — of a word
  20. game — wild animals
  21. root — of a plant
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. dip — to sink
  24. dip — a sauce

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