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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 116 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: fork · bulb · tear · root · ruler · kid · perch · press

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. kid — child
  3. press — to push
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — for light
  6. root — the cause
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. tear — from crying
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. root — of a plant
  16. press — a publisher
  17. tear — from crying
  18. kid — to tease
  19. fork — in a road
  20. press — newspapers
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. root — of a word
  23. tear — to rip
  24. ruler — a monarch

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