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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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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. rest — what's left
  3. march — music
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. rest — what's left
  6. root — of a plant
  7. march — the month
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. craft — a skill
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. press — newspapers
  12. march — the month
  13. root — the cause
  14. root — of a word
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. press — to push
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bat — the animal
  21. rest — a break
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. press — a publisher
  24. craft — a handicraft

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