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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. march — the month
  3. march — the month
  4. craft — a skill
  5. root — the cause
  6. lean — thin
  7. ball — a dance
  8. root — of a word
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. mate — a partner
  14. craft — boats
  15. mate — to breed
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. mate — a friend
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. root — of a plant
  22. march — music
  23. bat — the animal
  24. ball — a great time

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