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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. file — a document
  4. tube — the underground
  5. mark — a grade
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bear — the animal
  8. root — of a plant
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. land — ground
  11. bear — the animal
  12. file — a tool
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. rock — a stone
  15. land — to come down
  16. perch — the fish
  17. rock — music
  18. tube — a container
  19. root — the cause
  20. land — a country
  21. mark — a trace
  22. root — of a word
  23. file — a line of people
  24. mark — to pay attention

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