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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. root — of a plant
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. root — the cause
  5. root — of a word
  6. swing — to play on
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. craft — a skill
  16. swing — music
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. swing — in golf
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. craft — boats

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