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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. ground — the earth
  3. root — the cause
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. mine — for digging
  6. perch — the fish
  7. root — of a word
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. saw — the tool
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. scale — in music
  12. staff — a stick
  13. staff — employees
  14. root — of a plant
  15. dip — to sink
  16. ground — crushed
  17. saw — the tool
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. ground — a position
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. scale — size or range
  23. staff — employees
  24. mine — an explosive

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