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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: root · stick · firm · club · bear · perch · racket · cold

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. firm — steady
  4. firm — a company
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bear — the animal
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. perch — the fish
  9. root — of a word
  10. firm — decided
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bear — the animal
  13. club — for golf
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. club — a group
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. root — of a plant
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. root — the cause
  21. cold — an illness
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. cold — not warm
  24. cold — the Cold War

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