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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. dip — to sink
  4. object — a thing
  5. perch — the fish
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. march — the month
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. root — the cause
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. march — the month
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. root — of a plant
  17. object — to protest
  18. object — an aim
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. scale — in music
  21. march — music
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. scale — size or range
  24. root — of a word

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