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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. firm — decided
  3. firm — a company
  4. bank — for money
  5. perch — the fish
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. scale — in music
  10. bank — of a river
  11. root — the cause
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. spell — letters
  14. bank — for money
  15. sharp — clever
  16. spell — magic
  17. firm — steady
  18. scale — size or range
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. root — of a word
  22. root — of a plant
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. sharp — exactly

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