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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rock — a stone
  3. season — in sport
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. mug — a face
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. craft — boats
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. root — of a plant
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. craft — a skill
  15. kick — in football
  16. root — the cause
  17. season — of the year
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. root — of a word
  21. mug — a cup
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. mug — to rob
  24. fan — to cool the air

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