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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 need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. perch — the fish
  3. sharp — clever
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. court — for sport
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. root — of a plant
  10. vault — a safe
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. bat — the animal
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. root — of a word
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. court — of law
  22. court — of a king
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bat — in an idiom

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