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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. bark — to shout
  3. scale — in music
  4. perch — the fish
  5. root — of a plant
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. spell — a short time
  8. root — the cause
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. toast — bread
  15. scale — size or range
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. spell — magic
  18. squash — to crush
  19. spell — letters
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. root — of a word
  22. squash — the sport
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bark — of a tree

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