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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. race — the arms race
  3. pitch — completely
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — a break
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. root — of a word
  11. rest — what's left
  12. band — a ring
  13. perch — the fish
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. root — of a plant
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. band — a music group
  18. rock — a stone
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. race — humankind
  21. sharp — clever
  22. rock — music
  23. race — a contest
  24. root — the cause

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