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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. root — the cause
  5. root — of a plant
  6. root — of a word
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. swing — music
  9. fall — to drop
  10. chip — to eat
  11. fall — the season
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. rash — hasty
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. chip — for betting
  20. rash — a series
  21. bat — the animal
  22. perch — the fish
  23. swing — in golf
  24. fall — to drop

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