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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. hand — in cards
  4. root — the cause
  5. hand — help
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. spring — the season
  8. root — of a word
  9. club — a group
  10. spring — of water
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. spring — a coil
  15. club — for dancing
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. perch — the fish
  22. club — for golf
  23. root — of a plant
  24. 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