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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: bore · root · capital · ruler · saw · object · trunk · perch

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. object — to protest
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bore — to drill
  6. object — a thing
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. capital — money
  12. root — the cause
  13. perch — the fish
  14. bore — to tire
  15. saw — the tool
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. root — of a plant
  19. capital — a city
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. root — of a word
  22. object — an aim
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. trunk — of a car

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