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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  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. staff — a stick
  2. prune — to trim
  3. spell — letters
  4. staff — employees
  5. bound — tied together
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. can — a tin
  8. spell — a short time
  9. spell — magic
  10. mug — a face
  11. can — a tin
  12. staff — employees
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. pit — in a race
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bound — certain
  17. can — to be able to
  18. mug — to rob
  19. pit — a hole
  20. mug — a cup
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — the fish
  23. perch — for a bird
  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