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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 bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. spring — a coil
  5. root — of a plant
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. root — the cause
  8. suit — in cards
  9. suit — to fit
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. dip — to sink
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. date — the fruit
  14. root — of a word
  15. perch — the fish
  16. spring — of water
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. scale — size or range
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. suit — clothes
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. scale — in music
  24. spring — the season

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