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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. prune — to trim
  3. ground — the earth
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. prune — to trim
  7. perch — the fish
  8. firm — decided
  9. ground — a position
  10. ground — crushed
  11. stem — to come from
  12. bound — certain
  13. firm — steady
  14. present — the time now
  15. present — there
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. squash — the sport
  18. firm — a company
  19. bound — tied together
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. bound — obliged
  22. present — a gift
  23. squash — to crush
  24. squash — the vegetable

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