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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: staff · perch · scale · pit · root · saw · band · swing

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. perch — the fish
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. staff — employees
  7. saw — the tool
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. band — a ring
  10. swing — to play on
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. staff — a stick
  13. saw — the tool
  14. root — the cause
  15. swing — music
  16. scale — in music
  17. pit — a hole
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. staff — employees
  20. scale — size or range
  21. swing — in golf
  22. pit — in a race
  23. band — a music group
  24. root — of a word

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