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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 124 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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. can — a tin
  4. mate — a partner
  5. root — the cause
  6. mate — to breed
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. row — to paddle
  9. court — for sport
  10. root — of a word
  11. mate — a friend
  12. root — of a plant
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. court — of law
  15. row — a line
  16. craft — boats
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. bat — the animal
  20. can — to be able to
  21. craft — a skill
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. court — of a king

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