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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. mark — a grade
  3. root — the cause
  4. root — of a word
  5. mark — a trace
  6. bear — the animal
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. pop — soda
  13. chip — to eat
  14. wound — an injury
  15. season — in sport
  16. perch — the fish
  17. root — of a plant
  18. pop — music
  19. bear — the animal
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. season — of the year
  23. chip — for betting
  24. pop — to visit

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