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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. can — to be able to
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. root — of a plant
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. can — a tin
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. rash — a series
  10. ground — crushed
  11. bass — low music
  12. ground — the earth
  13. kid — to tease
  14. rash — hasty
  15. perch — the fish
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. bass — the fish
  18. root — the cause
  19. ground — a position
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. can — a tin
  23. root — of a word
  24. kid — child

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