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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 116 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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. firm — steady
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. ground — a position
  6. ground — the earth
  7. firm — a company
  8. can — a tin
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. rock — music
  11. rock — a stone
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. firm — decided
  14. ground — crushed
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. root — of a word
  17. root — the cause
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — to be able to
  21. root — of a plant
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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