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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: root · pitcher · bore · kick · field · rule · craft · plane

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. plane — a tool
  4. root — the cause
  5. craft — boats
  6. bore — to tire
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. kick — in football
  10. craft — a skill
  11. rule — a law
  12. field — farmland
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. field — for sport
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. bore — to drill
  20. field — a subject
  21. root — of a plant
  22. rule — government
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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