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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. snap — to click
  3. can — a tin
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. spring — of water
  7. root — the cause
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. spring — a coil
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. root — of a plant
  12. can — to be able to
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. club — for dancing
  15. season — in sport
  16. root — of a word
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. can — a tin
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. club — a group
  22. season — of the year
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. club — for golf

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