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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. spring — of water
  4. band — a ring
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. root — of a word
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. perch — the fish
  10. spring — the season
  11. spring — a coil
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. band — a music group
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. toast — bread
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. chair — a leader
  23. root — the cause
  24. chair — a professorship

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