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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: mine · club · march · root · temple · craft · pass · stick

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. club — a group
  5. craft — a skill
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. root — of a plant
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. mine — for digging
  12. march — the month
  13. march — music
  14. club — for golf
  15. root — the cause
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. march — the month
  18. craft — boats
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. pass — a permit
  22. root — of a word
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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