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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. root — of a plant
  4. race — humankind
  5. drill — a practice
  6. perch — the fish
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. band — a music group
  9. mug — to rob
  10. mug — a face
  11. race — the arms race
  12. root — the cause
  13. roll — a cake
  14. race — a contest
  15. bulb — for light
  16. mug — a cup
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. roll — a list
  19. root — of a word
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. drill — army training
  22. bulb — for light
  23. band — a ring
  24. perch — for a bird

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