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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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Word bank
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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. root — of a plant
  5. field — for sport
  6. board — to get on
  7. root — the cause
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. can — to be able to
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. perch — the fish
  13. field — a subject
  14. board — a committee
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. root — of a word
  18. can — a tin
  19. kid — to tease
  20. can — a tin
  21. kid — child
  22. field — farmland
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — to keep secret

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