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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pop — soda
  3. season — of the year
  4. perch — the fish
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. craft — boats
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. craft — a skill
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. pop — to visit
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — to trim
  20. kid — to tease
  21. kid — child
  22. season — in sport
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. date — the fruit

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