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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. court — for sport
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. net — after costs
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. cap — a hat
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. craft — boats
  12. net — for catching
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. court — of a king
  15. craft — a skill
  16. net — in sport
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. root — of a word
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. root — of a plant
  21. root — the cause
  22. cap — a lid
  23. court — of law
  24. wave — of the sea

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