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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: court · wake · root · craft · shower · mug · march · ball

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. mug — a face
  5. craft — a skill
  6. march — the month
  7. mug — to rob
  8. mug — a cup
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. court — for sport
  11. march — music
  12. root — of a word
  13. craft — boats
  14. shower — rain
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. court — of law
  17. wake — a trail
  18. march — the month
  19. shower — to wash
  20. court — of a king
  21. root — the cause
  22. ball — a dance
  23. ball — a great time
  24. craft — a handicraft

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