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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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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: foot · chip · root · row · pound · saw · perch · leaves

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  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. leaves — of a tree
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. row — a line
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. root — of a word
  11. saw — the tool
  12. root — the cause
  13. perch — the fish
  14. foot — a measure
  15. row — to paddle
  16. chip — to eat
  17. saw — the tool
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. pound — a weight
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. root — of a plant
  23. chip — for betting
  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