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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. chip — to eat
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. object — an aim
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. object — to protest
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. band — a music group
  13. perch — the fish
  14. squash — the sport
  15. band — a ring
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. squash — to crush
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. chip — for betting
  21. object — a thing
  22. root — the cause
  23. root — of a plant
  24. arm — part of the body

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