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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: shower · craft · root · court · wax · staff · racket · cap

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  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. staff — a stick
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. root — of a word
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. staff — employees
  7. cap — a hat
  8. cap — of ice
  9. shower — rain
  10. wax — to grow
  11. court — for sport
  12. staff — employees
  13. shower — to wash
  14. root — the cause
  15. court — of law
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. craft — a skill
  18. root — of a plant
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. court — of a king
  21. cap — a lid
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. racket — for tennis
  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