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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: pop · court · root · last · toast · season · tube · craft

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. root — the cause
  3. court — of a king
  4. tube — a container
  5. craft — boats
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. last — finally
  8. court — for sport
  9. craft — a skill
  10. root — of a plant
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. season — of the year
  13. root — of a word
  14. season — in sport
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. last — final
  17. court — of law
  18. pop — music
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. toast — bread
  21. last — to go on
  22. pop — soda
  23. tube — the underground
  24. pop — to visit

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