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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. field — farmland
  3. rock — a stone
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. pop — music
  6. prune — to trim
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. pass — a permit
  9. field — a subject
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bank — for money
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. pop — to visit
  16. field — for sport
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. rest — what's left
  19. perch — the fish
  20. rest — a break
  21. bank — for money
  22. rock — music
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. rest — what's left

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