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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. row — a line
  3. foot — a measure
  4. cap — a hat
  5. row — to paddle
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. root — of a word
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. perch — the fish
  10. cap — of ice
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. cap — a lid
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. squash — to crush
  16. root — the cause
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. root — of a plant
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. squash — the sport

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