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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: perch · mouse · pit · spring · root · content · kick · mine

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. spring — of water
  4. root — the cause
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. root — of a word
  7. kick — in football
  8. content — happy
  9. perch — the fish
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. pit — a hole
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. spring — the season
  15. spring — a coil
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. mine — for digging
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. content — the amount
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. root — of a plant
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. pit — a fruit stone

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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