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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. bank — for money
  3. wound — an injury
  4. pit — a hole
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. suit — clothes
  7. root — of a word
  8. perch — the fish
  9. suit — to fit
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. bank — of a river
  13. land — to come down
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. root — the cause
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. land — a country
  18. root — of a plant
  19. land — ground
  20. bank — for money
  21. pit — in a race
  22. suit — in cards
  23. band — a music group
  24. band — a ring

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