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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: roll · perch · cue · shower · root · craft · rule · pop

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  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. root — of a word
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. pop — soda
  4. craft — boats
  5. shower — rain
  6. roll — a cake
  7. shower — to wash
  8. cue — a signal
  9. cue — a hint
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. pop — to visit
  12. craft — a skill
  13. root — of a plant
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. rule — government
  16. pop — music
  17. cue — for pool
  18. rule — a law
  19. root — the cause
  20. roll — a list
  21. perch — the fish
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. perch — for a bird

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