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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. root — of a word
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. last — final
  5. root — of a plant
  6. tube — the underground
  7. last — to go on
  8. fork — in a road
  9. perch — the fish
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. mate — a partner
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. mate — to breed
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. craft — boats
  16. tube — a container
  17. craft — a skill
  18. object — an aim
  19. root — the cause
  20. mate — a friend
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. object — to protest
  24. last — finally

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