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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. prune — to trim
  4. track — a path
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. land — ground
  9. ball — a great time
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. foot — a measure
  13. land — to come down
  14. track — a song
  15. perch — the fish
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. land — a country
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. ball — a dance
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. track — to keep track
  23. stand — to bear
  24. ball — a round shape

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