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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. dip — to sink
  3. season — of the year
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. craft — boats
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. root — of a plant
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. season — in sport
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. craft — a skill
  14. deal — to handle
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. mine — for digging
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. rule — government
  20. root — the cause
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. fork — in a road
  24. rule — a law

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