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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. root — of a plant
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. fall — the season
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. root — of a word
  8. stock — goods
  9. ball — a dance
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. stock — shares
  15. fall — to drop
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. ball — a great time
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. perch — the fish
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. root — the cause
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. fall — to drop

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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