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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. rock — music
  3. root — the cause
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. root — of a plant
  6. file — a line of people
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — to be able to
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. perch — the fish
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. pitch — completely
  15. deal — to handle
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. rock — a stone
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. file — a document
  21. root — of a word
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. can — a tin
  24. deal — an agreement

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