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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: date · rush · pitcher · trunk · craft · root · pass · roll

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. craft — boats
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. root — of a word
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. date — the fruit
  14. root — of a plant
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pass — a permit
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. root — the cause
  20. rush — hurry
  21. craft — a skill
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. roll — a cake

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