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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 a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. game — a match
  3. perch — the fish
  4. capital — a city
  5. track — to keep track
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. rock — a stone
  11. game — wild animals
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. track — a path
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. root — of a word
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. track — a song
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. rash — hasty
  20. capital — money
  21. rock — music
  22. root — the cause
  23. rash — a series
  24. game — a kind of play

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