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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: cabinet · content · fall · wound · club · root · perch · suit

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. fall — to drop
  3. club — a group
  4. club — for dancing
  5. suit — to fit
  6. fall — to drop
  7. club — for golf
  8. content — happy
  9. perch — the fish
  10. root — of a word
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. root — of a plant
  13. root — the cause
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. fall — the season
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. suit — clothes
  22. content — the amount
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. perch — for a bird

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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