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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · suit · club · pitcher · nail · game · bound · root

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. root — of a plant
  4. suit — clothes
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. suit — to fit
  7. suit — in cards
  8. club — for dancing
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. craft — boats
  11. craft — a skill
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. club — for golf
  14. bound — tied together
  15. root — of a word
  16. bound — obliged
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. game — wild animals
  20. club — a group
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bound — certain
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. root — the cause

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