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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: last · toast · scale · jam · craft · root · hand · spell

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. root — of a word
  3. last — to go on
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. scale — in music
  7. toast — bread
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. spell — letters
  11. spell — a short time
  12. hand — in cards
  13. craft — a skill
  14. spell — magic
  15. hand — help
  16. craft — boats
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. last — finally
  19. root — the cause
  20. scale — size or range
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. last — final
  24. toast — the most admired

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