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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 116 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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. cue — for pool
  3. fall — to drop
  4. prune — to trim
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. perch — the fish
  7. drill — the tool
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bound — certain
  11. bound — obliged
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. fall — the season
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. prune — to trim
  17. drill — army training
  18. fall — to drop
  19. cue — a signal
  20. drill — a practice
  21. plane — a tool
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. bound — tied together
  24. cue — a hint

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