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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. season — of the year
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. pop — music
  5. pop — to visit
  6. season — in sport
  7. club — for golf
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. spring — of water
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. pop — soda
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. spring — a coil
  14. bank — of a river
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. craft — a skill
  17. bank — for money
  18. club — for dancing
  19. root — of a word
  20. craft — boats
  21. root — the cause
  22. club — a group
  23. bank — for money
  24. root — of a plant

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