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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. rest — what's left
  5. press — newspapers
  6. perch — the fish
  7. roll — a cake
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. press — to push
  10. root — the cause
  11. root — of a plant
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. rest — what's left
  15. roll — a list
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. press — a publisher
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. scale — size or range
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. scale — in music
  24. rest — a break

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