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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 120 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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. root — of a plant
  5. craft — boats
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. face — to confront
  8. land — a country
  9. craft — a skill
  10. face — part of the head
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. land — to come down
  13. face — to point toward
  14. bass — low music
  15. root — of a word
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. root — the cause
  21. bass — the fish
  22. land — ground
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. bowl — a dish

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