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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. root — the cause
  3. cap — a lid
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. club — for dancing
  6. club — for golf
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. suit — to fit
  9. root — of a plant
  10. tear — from crying
  11. press — newspapers
  12. perch — the fish
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. suit — in cards
  15. suit — clothes
  16. club — a group
  17. tear — from crying
  18. cap — of ice
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. press — to push
  21. root — of a word
  22. press — a publisher
  23. tear — to rip
  24. cap — a hat

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