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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. mate — a partner
  4. craft — a skill
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. root — of a plant
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. mate — a friend
  9. bear — the animal
  10. root — the cause
  11. root — of a word
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. mate — to breed
  15. rule — a law
  16. craft — boats
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. bat — the animal
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. rule — government
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bear — the animal

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