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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. root — of a word
  4. pitch — completely
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. pass — a permit
  7. perch — the fish
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. kick — in football
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. root — the cause
  19. snap — to click
  20. ball — a dance
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. root — of a plant
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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