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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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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  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. rest — what's left
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. chip — for betting
  5. root — of a word
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. root — of a plant
  8. season — in sport
  9. land — a country
  10. season — of the year
  11. ball — a great time
  12. pitch — completely
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. chip — to eat
  15. root — the cause
  16. land — to come down
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. craft — a skill
  19. ball — a dance
  20. craft — boats
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — a break
  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