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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bulb — for light
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bulb — for light
  10. root — of a plant
  11. root — the cause
  12. file — a document
  13. track — a song
  14. file — a line of people
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. track — a path
  17. game — wild animals
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. track — to keep track
  20. perch — the fish
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. root — of a word
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. game — a match

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