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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. ball — a dance
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. root — of a word
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. date — the fruit
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. ball — a great time
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. toast — bread
  16. band — a ring
  17. perch — the fish
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. band — a music group
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. root — the cause
  24. band — a rubber band

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