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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. prune — to trim
  3. tube — a container
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. season — of the year
  9. object — an aim
  10. object — a thing
  11. march — the month
  12. season — in sport
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. march — the month
  15. object — to protest
  16. tube — the underground
  17. prune — to trim
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. march — music
  24. fan — a supporter

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