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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: perch · mark · spring · fine · shower · rash · root · field

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. root — the cause
  4. field — for sport
  5. mark — a trace
  6. perch — the fish
  7. rash — a series
  8. field — farmland
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. shower — rain
  12. fine — high quality
  13. root — of a plant
  14. spring — the season
  15. mark — a grade
  16. spring — of water
  17. shower — to wash
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. field — a subject
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. rash — hasty
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. fine — all right
  24. root — of a word

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