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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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. can — a tin
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. root — the cause
  6. stem — to come from
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. pop — music
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. can — to be able to
  15. perch — the fish
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. can — a tin
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. rush — hurry
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. pop — to visit
  22. pop — soda
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. root — of a word

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