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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. root — of a word
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. root — the cause
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — to trim
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. root — of a plant
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bass — low music
  20. pitch — completely
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. perch — the fish

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