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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.

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: bat · pit · mouse · shower · march · perch · root · rush

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. perch — the fish
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. march — the month
  8. pit — in a race
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. shower — rain
  11. rush — hurry
  12. pit — a hole
  13. root — the cause
  14. root — of a plant
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. shower — to wash
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. bat — the animal
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. march — music
  21. root — of a word
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. march — the month

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