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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 116 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: rest · rush · tube · club · craft · root · game · last

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. last — final
  4. tube — a container
  5. club — a group
  6. root — the cause
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. root — of a plant
  9. tube — the underground
  10. last — finally
  11. root — of a word
  12. club — for dancing
  13. craft — a skill
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. last — to go on
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — what's left
  20. game — wild animals
  21. game — a match
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. craft — boats
  24. rest — a break

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