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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. march — the month
  4. root — the cause
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. drill — the tool
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. root — of a plant
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. perch — the fish
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. squash — to crush
  15. drill — a practice
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. march — music
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. sharp — clever
  21. root — of a word
  22. squash — the sport
  23. march — the month
  24. perch — for a bird

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