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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. season — of the year
  3. cue — a hint
  4. staff — a stick
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. cue — a signal
  7. season — in sport
  8. craft — boats
  9. root — of a plant
  10. present — a gift
  11. staff — employees
  12. cue — for pool
  13. root — the cause
  14. staff — employees
  15. bear — the animal
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. root — of a word
  22. present — there
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. present — the time now

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