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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. root — the cause
  4. track — to keep track
  5. bass — low music
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bass — the fish
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. perch — the fish
  12. root — of a plant
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. track — a path
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. root — of a word
  18. perch — for a bird

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