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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. chest — of your body
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. perch — the fish
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. kid — to tease
  7. stock — shares
  8. row — to paddle
  9. row — a line
  10. kid — child
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chest — a box
  13. root — of a word
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. suit — to fit
  17. stock — goods
  18. root — the cause
  19. pass — a permit
  20. root — of a plant
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. suit — in cards
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. perch — for a bird

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