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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 120 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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. scale — size or range
  3. rest — a break
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. present — the time now
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. mine — for digging
  9. present — a gift
  10. spell — magic
  11. rest — what's left
  12. spell — a short time
  13. root — the cause
  14. rest — what's left
  15. spring — a coil
  16. spell — letters
  17. spring — of water
  18. spring — the season
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. perch — the fish
  21. scale — in music
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. root — of a word
  24. present — there

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