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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 120 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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. clip — a video
  4. club — for dancing
  5. root — of a word
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. dip — to sink
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. band — a ring
  10. clip — for paper
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. craft — a skill
  13. clip — to cut
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. bulb — for light
  16. band — a music group
  17. club — a group
  18. root — of a plant
  19. perch — the fish
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bulb — for light
  22. craft — boats
  23. club — for golf
  24. root — the cause

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