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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 120 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 hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. content — happy
  4. root — of a word
  5. bank — for money
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. craft — boats
  8. craft — a skill
  9. bank — for money
  10. root — of a plant
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. content — the amount
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. sharp — clever
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. root — the cause
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. bank — of a river

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