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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: root · cap · field · bark · ruler · perch · mug · cabinet

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. field — a subject
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. root — of a plant
  5. bark — to shout
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. mug — to rob
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. cap — of ice
  10. perch — the fish
  11. mug — a cup
  12. cap — a lid
  13. field — for sport
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. root — the cause
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. root — of a word
  21. field — farmland
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. cap — a hat

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