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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. craft — a skill
  3. craft — boats
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. bear — the animal
  8. root — of a word
  9. drill — the tool
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. net — after costs
  12. can — to be able to
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. root — the cause
  15. root — of a plant
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. drill — army training
  18. net — for catching
  19. net — in sport
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. drill — a practice
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — a tin

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