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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. pop — to visit
  6. object — to protest
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. root — the cause
  10. season — of the year
  11. land — ground
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. root — of a word
  14. fine — high quality
  15. pop — music
  16. pop — soda
  17. season — in sport
  18. perch — the fish
  19. object — an aim
  20. land — a country
  21. fine — all right
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. root — of a plant
  24. object — a thing

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