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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. root — the cause
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. fine — high quality
  7. fine — all right
  8. squash — to crush
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. land — a country
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. squash — the sport
  13. land — to come down
  14. root — of a word
  15. staff — employees
  16. chair — a leader
  17. staff — a stick
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. perch — the fish
  22. land — ground
  23. root — of a plant
  24. staff — employees

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