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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. prune — to trim
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. roll — a list
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. drill — the tool
  9. drill — a practice
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. net — after costs
  13. perch — the fish
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. roll — a cake
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. drill — army training
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. net — in sport
  22. dip — to sink
  23. net — for catching
  24. prune — to trim

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