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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. ground — crushed
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. clip — to cut
  8. perch — the fish
  9. clip — for paper
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. can — a tin
  12. ground — a position
  13. root — of a plant
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. rule — government
  16. can — a tin
  17. root — of a word
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. ground — the earth
  21. clip — a video
  22. rule — a law
  23. can — to be able to
  24. fan — a supporter

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