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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bank — for money
  4. foot — a measure
  5. season — of the year
  6. season — in sport
  7. prune — to trim
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. bank — of a river
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. cap — of ice
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. cap — a lid
  16. perch — the fish
  17. bank — for money
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. cap — a hat
  20. ball — a dance
  21. lean — thin
  22. lean — to bend
  23. ball — a great time
  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