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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: date · board · spell · toast · court · craft · root · cap

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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. spell — magic
  4. court — of law
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. board — a committee
  8. board — to get on
  9. date — the fruit
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. court — of a king
  12. cap — a lid
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. spell — a short time
  15. root — of a word
  16. cap — a hat
  17. craft — a skill
  18. toast — bread
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. root — of a plant
  21. cap — of ice
  22. spell — letters
  23. court — for sport
  24. craft — boats

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