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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's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  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. saw — the tool
  2. rush — hurry
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. root — of a plant
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. craft — boats
  7. bat — the animal
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. court — for sport
  11. root — of a word
  12. saw — the tool
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. court — of law
  17. craft — a skill
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. court — of a king
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. rush — to hurry
  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