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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 124 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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. root — the cause
  3. mug — to rob
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. staff — a stick
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. perch — the fish
  11. root — of a plant
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. scale — in music
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. mug — a cup
  16. scale — size or range
  17. content — the amount
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. staff — employees
  20. content — happy
  21. staff — employees
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. mug — a face

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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