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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 120 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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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: club · root · land · craft · ruler · rock · mate · foot

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. foot — a measure
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. club — for dancing
  5. mate — a partner
  6. club — a group
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. craft — a skill
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rock — music
  12. mate — to breed
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. root — of a word
  15. club — for golf
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. root — of a plant
  19. root — the cause
  20. craft — boats
  21. land — a country
  22. land — to come down
  23. mate — a friend
  24. land — ground

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