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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  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. season — to add flavour
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. season — in sport
  4. rock — a stone
  5. object — an aim
  6. bat — the animal
  7. rule — government
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. root — of a word
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. root — the cause
  12. rock — music
  13. craft — boats
  14. craft — a skill
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. object — to protest
  18. object — a thing
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. season — of the year
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. rule — a law
  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