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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. perch — the fish
  6. roll — a cake
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. root — of a word
  12. mine — for digging
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. cue — a signal
  15. root — the cause
  16. rule — government
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. cue — for pool
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. root — of a plant
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. rule — a law
  24. cue — a hint

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