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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. court — for sport
  3. craft — a skill
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. sharp — clever
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. can — to be able to
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. lean — thin
  11. craft — boats
  12. court — of a king
  13. suit — to fit
  14. can — a tin
  15. court — of law
  16. root — of a word
  17. suit — clothes
  18. suit — in cards
  19. lean — to bend
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. root — the cause
  22. can — a tin
  23. root — of a plant
  24. lean — to rest against

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