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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. root — the cause
  3. spring — of water
  4. spring — the season
  5. kid — to tease
  6. kid — child
  7. root — of a plant
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bear — the animal
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. perch — the fish
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. root — of a word
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. spring — a coil
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. bear — the animal
  24. jam — a tight spot

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