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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. root — the cause
  5. root — of a plant
  6. march — the month
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. bulb — for light
  9. row — a line
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. march — the month
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. perch — the fish
  14. pit — a hole
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. march — music
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bulb — for light
  19. pit — in a race
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. lie — to recline
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. row — to paddle
  24. coach — a trainer

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