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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 was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. bat — the animal
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. suit — clothes
  9. root — the cause
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. court — of a king
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. root — of a word
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. mine — for digging
  16. court — for sport
  17. suit — in cards
  18. craft — a skill
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. court — of law
  21. craft — boats
  22. suit — to fit
  23. root — of a plant
  24. bat — in an idiom

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