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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. root — of a word
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. branch — a division
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. club — a group
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. chest — of your body
  9. club — for golf
  10. root — the cause
  11. root — of a plant
  12. cue — for pool
  13. perch — the fish
  14. chest — a box
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. cue — a hint
  20. cue — a signal
  21. chest — of your body
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. branch — of a tree

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