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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. root — of a plant
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. root — of a word
  7. court — for sport
  8. fork — in a road
  9. root — the cause
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. court — of law
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. fine — high quality
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. season — in sport
  16. season — of the year
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. court — of a king
  20. fine — all right
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. nail — for a hammer

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