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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. root — of a plant
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. mug — to rob
  6. craft — a skill
  7. field — farmland
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. mug — a cup
  10. field — a subject
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. rest — what's left
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. field — for sport
  16. wound — an injury
  17. craft — boats
  18. rest — what's left
  19. root — the cause
  20. mug — a face
  21. rest — a break
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. wound — an injury
  24. root — of a word

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