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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. craft — a skill
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. spring — a coil
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. tube — a container
  12. root — of a word
  13. tube — the underground
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. root — the cause
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. spring — the season
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. root — of a plant
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. dip — to sink
  23. spring — of water
  24. craft — boats

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