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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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Word bank
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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. root — of a plant
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. rest — a break
  6. perch — the fish
  7. root — of a word
  8. spell — letters
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. tube — the underground
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. pit — in a race
  13. spell — magic
  14. rest — what's left
  15. stem — to come from
  16. vault — a safe
  17. pit — a hole
  18. rest — what's left
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. spell — a short time
  23. tube — a container
  24. stem — of a plant

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