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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. key — for a lock
  6. prune — to trim
  7. root — of a plant
  8. roll — a cake
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. key — the most important part
  11. perch — the fish
  12. roll — a list
  13. key — in music
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. root — of a word
  17. prune — to trim
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. root — the cause
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. dip — to sink
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. rush — hurry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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