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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: craft · court · root · toast · nail · ground · pit · saw

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  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. craft — a handicraft
  2. pit — a hole
  3. court — of law
  4. ground — crushed
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. court — of a king
  8. court — for sport
  9. toast — bread
  10. root — of a plant
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. root — the cause
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. craft — boats
  16. saw — the tool
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. root — of a word
  19. pit — in a race
  20. saw — the tool
  21. ground — the earth
  22. ground — a position
  23. craft — a skill
  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