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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. perch — the fish
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. root — the cause
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. dip — to sink
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. root — of a plant
  22. root — of a word
  23. present — there
  24. present — a gift

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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