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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 120 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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. root — the cause
  3. wound — an injury
  4. root — of a plant
  5. ground — the earth
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. mug — a face
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. stem — to come from
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mug — a cup
  12. track — a song
  13. ground — a position
  14. wound — an injury
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. pop — soda
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. pop — music
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. root — of a word
  21. pop — to visit
  22. track — a path
  23. ground — crushed
  24. track — to keep track

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