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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. root — the cause
  5. fall — to drop
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. wax — to grow
  8. swing — to play on
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. swing — music
  11. field — farmland
  12. fall — the season
  13. root — of a plant
  14. field — for sport
  15. rock — a stone
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. swing — in golf
  18. perch — the fish
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. foot — a measure
  21. rock — music
  22. fall — to drop
  23. field — a subject
  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