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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: net · hide · fall · perch · cap · fork · bound · root

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. root — of a plant
  3. bound — tied together
  4. cap — a lid
  5. perch — the fish
  6. cap — a hat
  7. fork — in a road
  8. root — the cause
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. fall — to drop
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. fall — to drop
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. net — for catching
  18. fall — the season
  19. bound — obliged
  20. net — after costs
  21. root — of a word
  22. bound — certain
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. cap — of ice

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