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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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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: cell · craft · racket · cap · wind · mug · court · root

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. cap — of ice
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. cap — a hat
  6. root — of a word
  7. court — for sport
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. craft — boats
  10. cell — in biology
  11. root — of a plant
  12. wind — moving air
  13. mug — a face
  14. cap — a lid
  15. mug — to rob
  16. craft — a skill
  17. court — of law
  18. court — of a king
  19. root — the cause
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. mug — a cup
  22. wind — moving air
  23. cell — a phone
  24. racket — for tennis

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