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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: march · craft · saw · court · deal · present · root · toast

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. march — the month
  5. court — of a king
  6. march — the month
  7. craft — boats
  8. deal — to handle
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. saw — the tool
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. court — of law
  13. toast — bread
  14. court — for sport
  15. root — the cause
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. present — the time now
  18. present — there
  19. march — music
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. root — of a word
  22. present — a gift
  23. saw — the tool
  24. craft — a skill

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