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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: craft · mouse · scale · ground · root · rule · mark · perch

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. root — of a plant
  3. ground — the earth
  4. rule — a law
  5. root — of a word
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. craft — a skill
  9. perch — the fish
  10. ground — a position
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. mark — a trace
  13. rule — government
  14. ground — crushed
  15. scale — size or range
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mark — a grade
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. scale — in music
  23. root — the cause
  24. perch — for a bird

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