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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 120 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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. track — to keep track
  3. root — of a plant
  4. perch — the fish
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. degree — an amount
  7. fork — in a road
  8. track — a song
  9. root — of a word
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. degree — temperature
  12. track — a path
  13. root — the cause
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. current — happening now
  18. current — electric
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. current — of water
  21. degree — from a university
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. safe — out of danger

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