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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. craft — a skill
  5. court — of law
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. pit — a hole
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. root — of a plant
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. root — the cause
  15. pit — in a race
  16. press — newspapers
  17. court — of a king
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. court — for sport
  20. craft — boats
  21. press — a publisher
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. press — to push
  24. root — of a word

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