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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 120 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: bass · root · firm · court · snap · craft · arm · lean

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  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. firm — a company
  2. craft — boats
  3. craft — a skill
  4. bass — low music
  5. court — for sport
  6. court — of a king
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. firm — steady
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. court — of law
  11. lean — thin
  12. root — of a plant
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. bass — the fish
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. lean — to bend
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. root — of a word
  21. snap — to click
  22. firm — decided
  23. bass — the instrument
  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