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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. root — of a word
  3. pop — soda
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. perch — the fish
  6. bank — for money
  7. root — the cause
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — of a river
  10. pop — to visit
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. scale — in music
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. scale — size or range
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. pop — music
  19. rock — music
  20. root — of a plant
  21. ground — the earth
  22. ground — crushed
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. ground — a position

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