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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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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. kick — in football
  3. root — of a word
  4. track — to keep track
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. court — of law
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. suit — to fit
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. root — of a plant
  13. court — for sport
  14. snap — to click
  15. suit — clothes
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. perch — the fish
  18. toast — bread
  19. root — the cause
  20. track — a path
  21. track — a song
  22. suit — in cards
  23. court — of a king
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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