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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 116 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: bay · season · wax · rule · sharp · root · pit · craft

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. root — of a plant
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. craft — a skill
  8. craft — boats
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. pit — a hole
  11. root — the cause
  12. sharp — clever
  13. root — of a word
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. pit — in a race
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. rule — a law
  19. season — in sport
  20. wax — to grow
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. season — of the year
  24. bay — a horse colour

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