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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. season — of the year
  3. tear — from crying
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. court — of a king
  7. march — music
  8. craft — boats
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. tear — to rip
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. court — of law
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. tear — from crying
  16. sharp — clever
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. court — for sport
  19. march — the month
  20. craft — a skill
  21. season — in sport
  22. march — the month
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. sharp — exactly

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