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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. staff — employees
  6. can — a tin
  7. staff — employees
  8. season — in sport
  9. fine — high quality
  10. root — of a plant
  11. deal — to handle
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. root — the cause
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. staff — a stick
  16. ball — a great time
  17. season — of the year
  18. ball — a dance
  19. can — a tin
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. can — to be able to
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. fine — all right

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