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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. hand — help
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. mine — for digging
  8. race — humankind
  9. race — the arms race
  10. root — of a word
  11. mug — a face
  12. mug — a cup
  13. root — of a plant
  14. perch — the fish
  15. hand — in cards
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mug — to rob
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. suit — to fit
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. race — a contest
  22. suit — clothes
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. suit — in cards

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