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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: bear · root · wind · degree · racket · craft · stem · nail

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. bear — the animal
  3. root — of a word
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. craft — boats
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. degree — from a university
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. root — of a plant
  11. craft — a skill
  12. degree — an amount
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. stem — to come from
  19. wind — moving air
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. wind — moving air
  22. root — the cause
  23. bear — the animal
  24. degree — temperature

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