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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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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. root — of a plant
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. perch — the fish
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. root — of a word
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. tear — from crying
  13. chip — for betting
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. field — a subject
  16. tear — to rip
  17. field — farmland
  18. chip — to eat
  19. tear — from crying
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. root — the cause
  22. lie — to recline
  23. sharp — clever
  24. rush — hurry

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