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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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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: rest · pit · perch · staff · firm · deal · root · coach

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. firm — steady
  3. root — of a word
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. perch — the fish
  7. pit — in a race
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. pit — a hole
  10. rest — a break
  11. rest — what's left
  12. staff — a stick
  13. rest — what's left
  14. firm — decided
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. deal — to handle
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. staff — employees
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. root — the cause
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. firm — a company
  24. root — of a plant

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