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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. roll — a list
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. roll — a cake
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. chair — a leader
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. root — of a plant
  15. root — the cause
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. root — of a word
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. mouse — for a computer

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