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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. spell — letters
  3. spell — magic
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. foot — a measure
  6. fork — in a road
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. toast — bread
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. root — of a word
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. bound — certain
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. spell — a short time
  20. bound — obliged
  21. rush — hurry
  22. root — of a plant
  23. perch — the fish
  24. root — the cause

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