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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. chest — of your body
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. craft — a skill
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. spring — a coil
  10. chest — of your body
  11. craft — boats
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. spring — the season
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. deal — to handle
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. chest — a box
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. root — of a plant
  20. spring — of water
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. root — of a word
  24. wave — with your hand

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