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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 116 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 took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. field — for sport
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. scale — in music
  8. root — of a word
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. root — the cause
  11. pound — a weight
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. perch — the fish
  14. root — of a plant
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. scale — size or range
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. shower — to wash
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. field — a subject
  23. vault — a safe
  24. field — farmland

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