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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 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. perch — the fish
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. bulb — for light
  5. foot — a measure
  6. bore — to drill
  7. object — to protest
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. root — the cause
  12. fine — high quality
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. object — a thing
  15. fine — all right
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. root — of a plant
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. object — an aim
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — of a plant

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