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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: ruler · kick · season · drill · craft · kid · root · bowl

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  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. season — of the year
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. root — of a word
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. season — in sport
  7. drill — army training
  8. kick — in football
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. kid — child
  11. root — of a plant
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. drill — a practice
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. drill — the tool
  21. root — the cause
  22. kid — to tease
  23. craft — a skill
  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