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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. craft — boats
  3. pitch — completely
  4. mine — for digging
  5. kid — to tease
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. season — of the year
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. kid — child
  15. squash — to crush
  16. dip — to sink
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. root — of a word
  21. craft — a skill
  22. squash — the sport
  23. root — of a plant
  24. season — in sport

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