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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  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. jam — to spread on bread
  2. club — a group
  3. club — for dancing
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. rash — a series
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. root — of a word
  9. pound — a weight
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. perch — the fish
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. hand — help
  16. root — of a plant
  17. hand — in cards
  18. club — for golf
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. roll — a list
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. roll — a cake
  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