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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. march — music
  3. root — of a word
  4. row — a line
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. root — the cause
  7. field — a subject
  8. perch — the fish
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. root — of a plant
  11. row — to paddle
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. march — the month
  15. march — the month
  16. can — a tin
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. can — a tin
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. wake — a trail
  23. field — for sport
  24. field — farmland

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