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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: root · straw · craft · bay · chip · cue · last · march

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — the month
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. cue — a signal
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. last — to go on
  9. root — of a word
  10. craft — a skill
  11. root — the cause
  12. last — final
  13. chip — for betting
  14. craft — boats
  15. cue — for pool
  16. march — music
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. chip — to eat
  19. cue — a hint
  20. root — of a plant
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. last — finally

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