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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: temple · craft · wake · sharp · field · root · bass · roll

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. field — a subject
  3. wake — a trail
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. roll — a list
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. sharp — clever
  10. craft — boats
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. root — of a plant
  13. bass — low music
  14. root — of a word
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. field — farmland
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bass — the fish
  19. field — for sport
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. craft — a skill
  22. roll — a cake
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. root — the cause

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