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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bear — the animal
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. root — the cause
  6. root — of a plant
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. march — the month
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. field — farmland
  11. can — to be able to
  12. bear — the animal
  13. root — of a word
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. march — the month
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. field — for sport
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. sharp — clever
  22. field — a subject
  23. can — a tin
  24. march — music

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