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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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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. shower — rain
  4. march — music
  5. bass — the fish
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — a tin
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. bass — low music
  11. march — the month
  12. scale — in music
  13. root — the cause
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. march — the month
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bear — the animal
  19. shower — to wash
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. can — to be able to
  23. root — of a word
  24. perch — the fish

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