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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mark — a grade
  4. craft — boats
  5. craft — a skill
  6. suit — to fit
  7. root — of a plant
  8. suit — in cards
  9. court — of a king
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. court — for sport
  13. root — the cause
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. deal — to handle
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. root — of a word
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. suit — clothes
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. court — of law
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. stand — to bear

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