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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 120 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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. content — happy
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. content — the amount
  7. foot — a measure
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. bass — low music
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. pit — a hole
  13. sharp — clever
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. perch — the fish
  16. prune — to trim
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. pit — in a race
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bass — the fish
  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