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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. rock — music
  4. craft — a skill
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. current — of water
  8. current — happening now
  9. bat — the animal
  10. season — in sport
  11. season — of the year
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. craft — boats
  14. current — electric
  15. root — of a word
  16. dip — to sink
  17. rock — a stone
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. pit — in a race
  22. root — the cause
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. root — of a plant

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