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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. rock — music
  3. perch — the fish
  4. mug — a face
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. root — of a word
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. root — of a plant
  9. bass — the fish
  10. tube — a container
  11. bass — low music
  12. rush — hurry
  13. tube — the underground
  14. mug — to rob
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. foot — a measure
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. rock — a stone
  20. mug — a cup
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. root — the cause
  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