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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: cue · chest · nail · craft · chair · root · club · plane

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. plane — a tool
  3. cue — for pool
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. cue — a signal
  6. club — a group
  7. craft — boats
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. root — the cause
  10. cue — a hint
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. chest — of your body
  13. chair — a leader
  14. chest — of your body
  15. craft — a skill
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. club — for golf
  21. root — of a plant
  22. chest — a box
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. club — for dancing

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