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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. root — of a plant
  3. net — in sport
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. staff — employees
  6. pit — in a race
  7. staff — employees
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. staff — a stick
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. pit — a hole
  13. net — after costs
  14. clip — a video
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. perch — the fish
  17. clip — to cut
  18. clip — for paper
  19. root — of a word
  20. season — in sport
  21. net — for catching
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. season — of the year
  24. perch — for a bird

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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