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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: wind · march · club · craft · stick · can · shower · root

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. shower — rain
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. can — a tin
  7. march — music
  8. club — for dancing
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. craft — boats
  11. can — to be able to
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. craft — a skill
  14. march — the month
  15. root — of a plant
  16. club — for golf
  17. root — of a word
  18. club — a group
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. wind — moving air
  21. shower — to wash
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. root — the cause
  24. can — a tin

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