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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 120 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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. mate — a partner
  3. root — of a plant
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. swing — in golf
  6. root — the cause
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. clip — a video
  9. pass — a permit
  10. chip — for betting
  11. dip — to sink
  12. mate — to breed
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. chip — to eat
  15. swing — music
  16. root — of a word
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. mate — a friend
  20. clip — for paper
  21. clip — to cut
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. swing — to play on
  24. dip — to dunk

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