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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. dip — to sink
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. field — a subject
  7. field — farmland
  8. spring — a coil
  9. last — final
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. craft — boats
  12. last — finally
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. last — to go on
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. deal — to handle
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. spring — of water
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. field — for sport
  23. craft — a skill
  24. spring — the season

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