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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. perch — the fish
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. root — the cause
  9. sharp — clever
  10. bear — the animal
  11. ground — the earth
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bear — the animal
  15. ground — a position
  16. bulb — for light
  17. ground — crushed
  18. pop — to visit
  19. root — of a word
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. root — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. pop — music

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