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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 had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. chair — a leader
  4. rest — what's left
  5. perch — the fish
  6. rest — a break
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. rest — what's left
  10. foot — a measure
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. drill — army training
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. sharp — clever
  15. root — of a plant
  16. ball — a great time
  17. ball — a dance
  18. drill — the tool
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. root — the cause
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. root — of a word

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