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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. perch — the fish
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. spring — a coil
  5. swing — music
  6. bear — the animal
  7. swing — in golf
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. prune — to trim
  11. swing — to play on
  12. bark — to shout
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. spring — of water
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. branch — a division
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. prune — to trim
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. bear — the animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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