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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  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. can — a tin
  2. deal — to handle
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. cap — of ice
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. root — of a word
  9. scale — size or range
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. root — the cause
  14. cap — a hat
  15. can — to be able to
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. scale — in music
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. cap — a lid
  20. can — a tin
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. toast — bread
  23. scale — for weighing
  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