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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. club — a group
  6. perch — the fish
  7. field — farmland
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. field — for sport
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. rest — what's left
  12. root — of a word
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. last — to go on
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. club — for dancing
  17. club — for golf
  18. root — of a plant
  19. field — a subject
  20. rush — hurry
  21. last — finally
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — a break
  24. last — final

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