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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. ground — the earth
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. ground — a position
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. root — the cause
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. root — of a plant
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. perch — the fish
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. prune — to trim
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. ground — crushed
  20. prune — to trim
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. kick — in football
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. kick — a thrill

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