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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. root — of a word
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. game — a match
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. game — wild animals
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. mug — to rob
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. root — of a plant
  17. root — the cause
  18. craft — a skill
  19. craft — boats
  20. mug — a face
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. stand — to bear
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. patient — a sick person

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