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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. key — in music
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. root — of a word
  6. track — to keep track
  7. shower — rain
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. perch — the fish
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. root — of a plant
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. track — a path
  15. key — for a lock
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. root — the cause
  19. ball — a dance
  20. key — the most important part
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. track — a song
  23. bulb — for light
  24. ball — a great time

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