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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. net — for catching
  3. bound — certain
  4. root — of a plant
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. bound — tied together
  7. craft — boats
  8. pop — to visit
  9. net — in sport
  10. pop — soda
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. root — the cause
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. root — of a word
  15. cap — of ice
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. wax — to grow
  18. cap — a hat
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. cap — a lid
  21. net — after costs
  22. craft — a skill
  23. pop — music
  24. bound — obliged

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