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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: file · bat · root · perch · calf · fine · club · lean

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. lean — thin
  3. file — a document
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. fine — high quality
  6. fine — all right
  7. perch — the fish
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. club — for golf
  10. file — a tool
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. club — for dancing
  13. club — a group
  14. root — the cause
  15. bat — the animal
  16. root — of a word
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. lean — to bend
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. file — a line of people
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. fine — a penalty

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