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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 120 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: perch · net · bear · mark · straw · chair · root · row

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. root — of a word
  3. row — a line
  4. root — the cause
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mark — a trace
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bear — the animal
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. net — in sport
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. chair — a leader
  13. root — of a plant
  14. mark — a grade
  15. net — for catching
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. net — after costs
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. perch — the fish
  23. row — to paddle
  24. bear — the animal

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