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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: cold · craft · root · jam · band · bay · ball · mark

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. band — a music group
  4. craft — a skill
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. root — of a word
  7. mark — a trace
  8. ball — a dance
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. band — a ring
  12. root — the cause
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. mark — a grade
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. craft — boats
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. root — of a plant
  21. ball — a great time
  22. cold — not warm
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. cold — an illness

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