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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: root · band · perch · fork · cabinet · shower · rash · pop

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. pop — soda
  3. shower — rain
  4. pop — to visit
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. fork — in a road
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. root — of a plant
  12. band — a music group
  13. rash — a series
  14. root — of a word
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. band — a ring
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. root — the cause
  20. shower — to wash
  21. rash — hasty
  22. pop — music
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. fork — a garden tool

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