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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. root — of a plant
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. deal — to handle
  10. root — of a word
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. root — the cause
  13. stand — to bear
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. club — for golf
  20. club — for dancing
  21. mark — a grade
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. club — a group

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