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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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. mug — a cup
  3. perch — the fish
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. firm — a company
  7. mug — to rob
  8. root — the cause
  9. shower — rain
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. shower — to wash
  12. root — of a word
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. ball — a dance
  15. firm — steady
  16. ball — a great time
  17. fine — all right
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. firm — decided
  21. date — the fruit
  22. fine — high quality
  23. mug — a face
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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