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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 116 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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. club — for dancing
  4. root — of a plant
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — the fish
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. cap — a lid
  12. cap — a hat
  13. rule — government
  14. cap — of ice
  15. root — the cause
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. club — for golf
  19. root — of a word
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. sharp — clever
  22. rule — a law
  23. club — a group
  24. fork — in a road

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