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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
468
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: mug · perch · row · leaves · coach · root · fan · field

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. root — of a plant
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. row — a line
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. field — for sport
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. root — the cause
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. mug — a face
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. mug — to rob
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. perch — the fish
  20. field — a subject
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. mug — a cup
  23. field — farmland
  24. row — to paddle

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