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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'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. root — of a word
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. root — the cause
  6. clip — to cut
  7. clip — a video
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. pop — soda
  10. clip — for paper
  11. root — of a plant
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. pop — to visit
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. scale — size or range
  16. perch — the fish
  17. pop — music
  18. scale — in music
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bore — to tire
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — a part of something

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