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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. perch — the fish
  4. file — a tool
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. root — of a word
  8. swing — in golf
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. root — the cause
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. file — a line of people
  17. swing — to play on
  18. file — a document
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. root — of a plant

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