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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 116 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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Word bank
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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  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. present — the time now
  2. root — of a plant
  3. mug — a face
  4. craft — boats
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. club — for dancing
  7. race — a contest
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. present — a gift
  11. mug — a cup
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. race — humankind
  14. dip — to sink
  15. present — there
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. craft — a skill
  19. race — the arms race
  20. mug — to rob
  21. root — of a word
  22. club — for golf
  23. club — a group
  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