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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
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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: hide · net · court · rush · root · craft · rash · pit

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. craft — boats
  5. net — after costs
  6. net — for catching
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. root — of a word
  9. craft — a skill
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. net — in sport
  12. court — of law
  13. root — of a plant
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. rash — hasty
  17. pit — in a race
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. court — of a king
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. rash — a series
  22. court — for sport
  23. pit — a hole
  24. root — the cause

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