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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. perch — the fish
  3. rash — hasty
  4. march — the month
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. rash — a series
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. prune — to trim
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. march — music
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. board — a committee
  14. root — the cause
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. root — of a word
  20. board — to get on
  21. prune — to trim
  22. stem — to come from
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. root — of a plant

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