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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. can — to be able to
  3. root — of a word
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. can — a tin
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. bear — the animal
  8. root — the cause
  9. ball — a great time
  10. season — of the year
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. ball — a dance
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. can — a tin
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. root — of a plant
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. season — in sport
  24. straw — dry grass

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