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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  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. stick — a piece of wood
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. scale — size or range
  4. perch — the fish
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. root — of a plant
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. root — of a word
  9. root — the cause
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. scale — in music
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. stem — to come from
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. chair — a leader
  23. perch — for a bird
  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