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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. craft — a skill
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. face — to point toward
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. season — of the year
  8. face — part of the head
  9. root — of a plant
  10. craft — boats
  11. season — in sport
  12. root — the cause
  13. root — of a word
  14. firm — decided
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. firm — steady
  19. firm — a company
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. face — to confront
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. pass — a permit
  24. pitch — completely

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